


I Begin Where You End

by toinfinityandisengard



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: High Fantasy AU, M/M, Multi, Other, and hella magic, and theres gonna be dragons, strap in my dudes cause this is gonna be long and its gonna be lit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-01-16 14:32:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12344574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toinfinityandisengard/pseuds/toinfinityandisengard
Summary: Kenma spoke, quietly, but with that undying relentless fire burning in his eyes.“Thank you, Daichi. This war will not be as the last. While we were gone we learned, and discovered something new, something that could change the way wars are fought for the rest of time.”





	1. Chapter 1

_Iwaizumi_

 

It had been years since he’d had one of those marks added to his arms, years since he’d killed. He knew what his soldiers thought of it, knew that they thought he wore them as a mark of honor, of his indomitable battle prowess. 

He didn’t correct them.

They could believe what they wished, and he could let their unwavering faith they had in him endure. Only a few, those who had been with him through those deaths, who held places in his soul, knew what they were for. And Oikawa, the one who inked every line with painstaking care, the words from his mouth falling soothing and gentle across his skin, knew that he didn’t get them to boast, but to remember. 

As he stood on their balcony, watching the sun rise in the sapphire sky, he felt the unease rise in his chest. Oikawa had been having the visions for months, had told him about each and every one, all indicating the same thing. War was coming. One of magnitudes that even they, in their immortal lives, hadn’t seen. Iwaizumi had already started marshalling their army, sending messengers from the palace in every direction, racing to relay the message. The Kings are rallying their army, for dark days are swiftly approaching. Their citizens had flooded the crown city as soon as they’d heard, but they’d expected nothing less. The people loved their Kings, and they loved the land they lived on, and swore fealty to both. So for the past months Hajime had overseen the training, working with the thousands of warriors, honing the already lethal edges of their skills, praying everyday that they would be strong enough, smart enough. As he worked with their armies his mate did what he did best. Coordinate and strategize, manipulating variables until the plan was flawless. Working day and night with the generals who’d been by his side for many wars before this, sending messengers to neighboring kingdoms, warning them, hoping that he’d given them enough time to prepare. He felt Oikawa walking up behind him, felt the arms wrap around his waist and the head rest on his shoulder. 

“Breathe,” the sunlight soft voice instructed him. And as his chest rose and fell he allowed himself to sink back a little into Tooru's embrace. 

“It won’t be long now,” he whispered. 

He could feel it in his bones. Just like Tooru knew from his visions that war was coming, Hajime could feel it in his bones, in the very core of himself. War was coming, one that had been set into motion millennia ago. 

Tooru kissed the side of his neck. “We will always be together. War will do nothing to change that. It never has.”

Hajime nodded, and then froze, as a form approaching with preternatural speed approached their balcony. With half a thought Hajime erected a shield around the balcony, raising his hand, magic roiling as it awaited direction to be released. It looked to be a bird, but he knew that no bird could fly that swiftly without being aided by magic, and just as he prepared to blast it out of the sky-

“NO!” Oikawa tackled his arm, “Let the shield down!”

Hajime raised an eyebrow at his mate’s stunt, but retracted the shield until it was a second skin around Tooru and himself, and felt the shock ripple through his body as that bird, that falcon, soared through the window, and in a flash of light, turned into a haggard looking man.

“Koushi?” He gasped quickly reaching out a hand to grab his friend's arm, just as Oikawa did the same thing on the other side. 

“Nice to see you too,” Suga smiled, but his words were gasping and he looked no better than a soul on death’s door. But even so… Even so, he hadn’t aged a day since he’d seen him last. The silver of his hair was still gleaming, and the warmth in those rich brown eyes was still the same, if not tired and dim.

They tried to move him over to a chair but he just shrugged them off, flapping his hands at them.

“Oh stop it, the two of you always were so fussy.”

Oikawa frowned, not willing to take his friends banter as a sign that everything was fine. In fact, if Sugawara had flown all this distance just to speak with them personally, then everything was most definitely not fine. 

Suga caught Oikawa’s look and the small grin dropped from his lips as he sighed. 

“I saw your men practicing on the way in, so I assume you know why I’m here.”

Hajime’s heart strained as he braced himself for what was about to be said. As the faces of the men he trained flashed through his mind, as he wondered how many of them were about to march out of the city, and who would never return. 

“It has arrived.” Suga sucked in another breath, still panting. “Daichi marches in the north. We need your help.”

 

_Kuroo_

 

The morning had started off normally, or as normal as it could have, and Kuroo would’ve been okay with it saying that way, but apparently the Fates had something different in store for them today. He had a sneaking suspicion about what the boy from the village was running up the mountain to tell them about, and he knew that he wasn’t going to like it. And if he didn’t like it, then the golden dragon curled up sleeping in the back of the cave was most likely going to hate it. 

As he finally made it to the mouth of their cave, Kuroo smirked as he recognized him, and gave him a moment to catch his breath before he sauntered out of the shadows to meet him. 

“What news do you bring us?”

The messenger was panting, having sprinted the whole way up, but Kuroo knew the boy and wasn’t surprised at all. 

“There have been reports,” He gasped another breath, “of a war, and that there is marching in the North, and that they could use whatever aid can be offered. And the village thought that you should know of it.”

Like a stone plunked into a raging ocean the news registered in Kuro’s mind. Reoriented around it.

Quickly, Kuroo told the messenger what he planned to do, and what the village below them needed to do. How they were to survive. The messenger frowned, and Kuroo knew that he wasn’t happy, but all he had to do was let his magic slip it’s leash a little, to let that darkness rise into his eyes as he threatened the messenger to challenge his words. He didn’t, but the look of displeasure didn’t leave his face as he turned and sprinted back down the mountain to deliver the message to the village. 

And once he knew that the messenger was out of earshot that simpering smile vanished from his lips and Kuroo turned around to face his mate, hidden in the shadows.

“Did you hear what he said?”

Those golden eyes gazed incredulously at him as he spoke into Kuroo’s mind. 

_How couldn’t I have, I heard his breathing from halfway up the mountain._

A chuckle escaped Kuroo’s mouth at that, but his thought’s quickly sobered as he put together the pieces of information that the messenger had given them. 

_Marching in the north means…_

_It’s Daichi._ Kenma finished his thought. 

_We have to go. Now._

And so they did. Kuroo quickly gathered their belongings, which were few and packed them onto the saddle that he secured on Kenma’s golden back. And as night fell across the mountains around them, the golden dragon and his soul-bonded rider flew into the night.

 

_Suga_

 

He hadn’t thought that he’d make it to Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s palace. But he had, and now he needed to leave again. His body ached as he stood and gazed upon the King’s faces, letting them digest everything that he had told them. It had been weeks since he’d left the war camp. Since he’d seen his mate. He’d flown to every village and city in his kingdom that he could, warning them, begging them to join them in the north to fight, or convincing them to run and find safety if they couldn’t. Daichi had asked this of him, and he’d done it willingly, knowing that he’d move more swiftly than any messenger on horse. Knowing that his small head start might be the only thing that would buy his people the precious time to get out or move into the war camp. To spend with their family, before the realm descended into war. 

Suga sighed as he began to move back towards the window.

“I need to leave. Daichi is expecting me back in a few days and there are more villages that I need to see along the way.”

He saw as the fight rose in Oikawa’s eye, but it was Iwaizumi who moved faster than he could see, throwing him over his shoulder and making a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. 

“Not until you eat something and sit for a moment. Daichi can live with you being a few minutes late.”

Suga just sighed, “I can walk you know.”

Oikawa shot him a look and he held up his hands.

“I will stay and eat, but not for long, I have to be going soon.”

Oikawa nodded at Iwaizumi, and Suga swayed a little as he was placed back onto his feet. Maybe he should sit for a second, and now that he thought about it, he didn’t know when the last time he ate was. As if sensing his thought, his magic flickered. He’d been running on the dredges of it for days now, but he would have time to replenish it, if only for a night, when he got back to the war camp.  
They slowly descended into the kitchens of the palace, and the three of them sat as one of the cooks approached them with a heaping tray of food. 

Suga felt Oikawa’s piercing gaze just as he felt the tap on his mental barriers asking for permission. Suga simply replied by opening the memories to him, and projecting them to Iwaizumi, allowing the two of them to see not only the events that had led him to their balcony that morning, but of the past many years they had been apart. Yes, their kingdoms had corresponded and letters had been written back and forth. But it had been a time since they’d all sat together, and so slowly, as Suga sat and let himself relax a fraction, he showed some happy memories as well. 

He showed them memories of his and Daichi’s court, of the rides that they’d take through the city every morning, watching their city awake through the fog and sunlight. He showed the starry nights of them watching the lantern festival from on of the castle towers, hand in hand. And as a stray tear slid down his cheek, he smiled at his old friends. 

“I have not had a moment of peace to think of those things along my journey.” 

Oikawa reached across the small table to squeeze one of his hands.

“Thank you for sharing those with us. We have missed the two of you, and your court, sorely.”

“And it will not be long until we are all together again. We will leave immediately, and head for the war camp.” Iwaizumi said. “You can expect us to reach your forces within the month.” 

Suga nodded, smiling back. “Daichi will be glad of your presence. Some of the groups that have joined us are proving to be a bit difficult to work with.”

A wicked gleam shone in Iwaizumi’s eyes. “You know I will be more than happy to assist.”

Suga stood from the table, shooting Oikawa a sharp look as he tried to protest at his leaving again. 

“I must go,” he quickly reached out and grabbed the two of them in a tight hug, “I will see the both of you soon, and thank you for the short time to relax that you have given me.” 

The two kings gripped him tighter before releasing him.

“Go,” Iwaizumi said, “And tell Daichi to be ready, because I’ve missed having him as a sparring partner.”

At that Suga chuckled, “Oh he’ll be thrilled. Fates know, he’s gotten bored of sparring with me over the years. But I will let him know.” With that, he turned, racing up the stone stairs of the palace. He was truly thankful that he’d gotten a meal and to rest for a moment, but as his aching muscles propelled him upwards, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. He just hoped he reached everyone in time. His people's lives depended on it. 

 

_Akaashi_

 

Today was market day in their small village, and so Akaashi decided that it was the perfect time to go out for some fresh air and purchase some food. As soon as he stepped foot into the market he felt it, the repelling stench of human fear. The air was rife with it. He walked slowly, allowing his ear to attune to the sounds that most didn’t hear, the whispers that no one else caught. The villagers paid him no mind, his dark clothes nondescript, and the delicate crown of mage markings cresting his brow covered by his curling black hair. And it was as he approached his favorite fruit vendors stand that he finally heard something of interest. 

“I swear I saw it, not a week past. Its scales were so bright I couldn’t look at it directly, but it was flying as if the very gods were chasing it.” Akaashi’s heart caught in his chest at the words, and he unconsciously stepped closer to the voice, breath bated as it spoke again. “And the rider on his back, I couldn’t see him, but as they moved past a wave of darkness streaked through the sky where he’d been.” 

And every thought flew out of Akaashi’s head as his basket clattered to the ground, and he turned and began sprinting home. He needed to tell Bokuto this news. 

Tears were streaming across his face as he slammed open the door to his house but Bokuto didn’t move from his chair as he gazed out the window. Always looking, always waiting. Akaashi dropped to his knees before his mate, gasping and, and crying. And slowly, painfully slow, Bokuto raised his hands to cradle his face. 

“Akaashi?” 

At that Akaashi just sobbed harder, a clanging noise circling in his mind as he tried to speak the words trapped inside. 

“They’re alive, I-I heard people in the town.” 

He hauled himself up in a mighty movement, placing his hands on his mate’s shoulders, leaning in until their breath mingled as he whispered, “It’s Kuroo and Kenma,” he drew in a shuddering breath, 

“They’re alive. They’re alive and we have to find them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter friends! This one is shorter than what the rest are going to be, but I was just so excited to post part of it that I went ahead and did this!! If any of you are familiar with the Throne of Glass series, then I know you'll like this, because that's what this whole thing is inspired by!!! And if you haven't read it then you should, immediately, cause it's the shit.


	2. Chapter 2

_Daichi_

He slowly looked up from the massive map of their continent spread in front of him as the flap of his war tent flew open, shoved aside by one of his commanders. The hairs on his arms rose as the smell of ozone filled the tent and the air turned electric. Even before the commander spoke, Daichi knew what he was going to say. The same thing that all of his commanders had been saying for days now. 

“We can’t wait any longer, Daichi. We’ve given him all the time we can, it’s time to move.”

He knew. Knew that they’d already delayed too long, all in an effort for Suga to execute the plan, for him to rally their allies to move with them. For him to come back, come home, and ease the gaping hole in Daichi’s soul that yawned wider with every day that passed away from him. 

His thought’s were a roiling mass of numbers. Numbers indicating how many men he had. Numbers telling him how many days ago he should’ve given the order to move. Numbers that he added and added and added. That tormented him while sleeping and awake. Numbers that told him the same thing every single time he acknowledged them.

Not enough, not enough, not enough.

Never enough. 

Daichi shoved the treacherous thoughts aside. He had fought outnumbered before. Had fought that way and succeeded. And he would do so again. But the weight of it...it was something that he could handle. That he would handle. Even if it was just so that the men he trained with every day wouldn’t see the strain, the wearing upon his soul, the desperation that he buried so deep within himself that some days even he didn’t remember it was there. 

“Daichi.” The commander spoke again. “What are your orders.”

He sucked in a breath and leashed his sprinting whirling thoughts, and just let one come to the forefront. The one that he’d been putting off for days now. And as he let that breathe escape his lungs he spoke his order. 

“Tell the men to be ready to move by nightfall, we will begin our march then.” 

His commander nodded, already turning to leave the tent, to deliver the orders. But right as his hand touched the flap, he turned to Daichi.

“Do not fear, Daichi. He will make it back in time.” A small smile graced his commanders lips. “You entrusted him with this mission because he was our best bet, and I still believe that. And so should you.”

Daichi nodded his head, feeling foolish letting that small fear take a foothold inside of him. Feeling foolish for even doubting a second that his mate was anything less that completely capable of the mission he’d ordered him on. He bowed his head and let himself smile back. 

“You are right. Thank you, Nishinoya.”

Noya only grinned again, and sped out of the tent, off to tell the soldiers that the time had come. 

They were to pack their belongings, and begin the march to war.

_Kenma_

They’d been flying non-stop for days, only stopping to eat and sleep, barely resting. But it was nothing they couldn’t handle. Nothing they hadn’t done hundreds of time before. And as Kenma pumped his wings, relishing the cold air the flowed in streams around his golden body, he let himself dwell on their path, on what the future might hold.

He and Kuroo had not been idly pushing themselves for the past days. They had been racing the winds themselves because they knew what was at stake. And that every second that they wasted could be more lives lost.  
He felt Kuroo move on his back, felt him stretch upwards. They had not yet stopped that day, and he knew it would be several more hours before they would. His eyes wandered the ground below the, the mountain range they were passing over. They slowly moved upwards, to the stars that he felt they flew among anytime they were up this high. These stars were as familiar to him as the soul of his mate, unchanging through the many seasons that they’d roamed this earth. He tilted his head to the side and glanced at Kuroo, and couldn’t help the feeling of contentment that bloomed in his chest as he saw his mates eyes filled with the same expression he’d had moments ago, as he tipped his head back and gazed at the clear glittering sky above them. 

Kuroo’s head tilted back down as he spoke to Kenma. 

_Ready to land?_

Kenma snorted, he wasn’t exhausted, and being exhausted was the only way that he ever got a restful sleep.

_Let’s keep going for a while._

Kuroo simply smiled and nodded, leaning down to press a kiss to the base of Kenma’s scaled neck. 

Kenma hummed in pleasure, the sound vibrating his whole body. 

_Are you sure you don’t want to land a little sooner?_

And it was that wicked tone, that sharp lilting edge that Kuroo’s thoughts had, that made Kenma reconsider. And after a heartbeat, Kenma shot downward, into a small clearing in on top of a mountain that he’d spied moments ago. Flying through the night wasn’t the only way to exhaust oneself, and as he and Kuroo shot towards the trees like and arrow of darkness in the night, Kuroo promised that he would be having a very restful sleep that night. 

 

_Bokuto_

Alive.

They were _alive._

As soon as Akaashi had finished telling him what he’d overheard in the market he’d sprinted out of the door, knocking over his chair and leaving his mate to follow. They’d raced back to the village and found the man who Akaashi had overheard and begged him to tell them what else he knew. Begged him to give them a starting point, a direction. Any extra drop of information that could help them track down the dragon and his rider. And the man had been alarmed at first, as most people were when they had two mysterious magic wielders running towards them. But he’d told them what they needed to know, and as Bokuto finished stuffing the last of the supplies into his pack, he couldn’t help the wild thundering of his heart as he imagined what it would be like to see them again. 

He looked up and met Akaashi’s eyes, and knew that his mate had been staring at him. But instead of asking the question that Bokuto could plainly see shining in his eyes, he simply said, “Are you ready to go?”

Bokuto nodded, and as Akaashi moved to step out their front door Bokuto barred him with an arm. His throat was thick with the words he felt in his soul he needed to say. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Akaashi deserved to hear this. Deserved to hear him say it. 

“I’m sorry.” 

He paused and sucked in another breath, but held up a finger when Akaashi’s face wrinkled in confusion and his mouth opened in protest. And as he exhaled he leaned forward and pressed his brow to Akaashi’s, needing to feel his skin, to touch him.

“I stopped believing. I stopped believing that they were out there. Alive somewhere. And yet you stayed with me when I went into the dark place, when I allowed that part of my soul to be extinguished.”  
Bokuto reached down and squeezed Akaashi’s hands, forcing his voice to be steady even as it threatened to crack. 

“Never again. Never again will I allow that part of me to wither and die. So long as we are together.” 

Akaashi pulled his head back to meet his eyes, and it was the silver of tears that Bokuto spied lining his depthless eyes, but he squeezed his hands back and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his mouth. 

“I will never give up on you. No matter if you go into the dark place or on top of a mountain or in the middle of the sea. You will have me and I will have you.” 

Bokuto couldn’t help himself as he leaned forward to wrap his mate in a crushing hug. And though his heart still thundered, a piece of his soul fully smoothed over as he walked out that front door, hand in hand with his mate as they set off on their journey to the north. 

 

_Oikawa_

He roused as he felt the bed shift yet again, knowing that Hajime was struggling to sleep as the dawn approached along with their departure. He rolled to his side, coming nose to nose with his mate, wide and alert eyes meeting his own.

“You need to sleep.” 

Hajime’s voice was feather light, ghosting across Oikawa’s face as his eyes slid shut and his chest rose with a breath. 

“You know I can’t.”

Oikawa allowed himself to be pulled closer, humming as Hajime buried his face into his neck, breathing deep, and Oikawa knew that he was memorizing the moment, the smell, sounds, the feel, just as he himself was doing. They didn’t know the next time they’d have a night like this. Safe in their beds. Together. 

And though they were both silent, their hand roamed, memorizing. Their hearts beat in time as they raised twin prayers to the gods, petitioning them to allow them safe return. Praying that they’d be given a thousand more nights such as this. 

 

_Sugawara_

He’d left the last village two nights past, working all day and night with the village leaders to map a route for the safe passage of their people off the continent. So many lives. So many depended on the information that he’d given them. He only hoped that he’d been enough help. And that he’d made it to all of them in time. 

And even as his wings felt like they would give out on him any moment, he pushed towards the light burning on top of swiftly approaching mountain. He had one last stop to make. And as he flew down and landed on the wind battered doorstep, the door flew open and he was faced with a haggard looking old man, but one that was familiar to him. Even if the sight of his face still sent a jolt of fear running through him. 

“Come in, boy.” His voice rasped as he ushered Suga in. “I’ve been expecting you.” 

Suga didn’t trust his legs to support him for much longer, and quickly took a seat next to the roaring fire on the other side of the room. 

As the man moved to sit across from him, he spoke. 

“I’m assuming there’s someone that you’re needing me to find.”

Suga just nodded, inhaling gratefully into the mug that he was handed. 

“And did your mate send you here to find someone to help with that war of his?”  
Suga slowly shook his head. 

“Daichi doesn’t know about this. It’s a fool's shot in the dark, but there are two people who I need you to look for. Again.”

Suga winced at the last word, knowing that it would give away who he was here to seek out. This wasn’t the first time that he’d been to the shack on top of the mountain, and he doubted that it would be his last. But he held out hope as the old man leaned back in his chair, looking considerate as he sipped from his mug. 

“What makes you think that looking for them this time will be any different than the last?”

Suga sighed. “Honestly I’m not sure. But if they are alive, then word has likely reached them about this war, and hopefully they’ll be on the move-and if they’re on the move-”

“Then maybe that confounded cloaking spell the had rigged up won’t be following them as they fly about.”

The chair creaked again as the old man moved it around to face the fire. Suga knew better than to talk as a piece of chalk was conjured up from somewhere in the man’s robes, and he quickly made several marks along the stone floor in front of the roaring fire. 

“Close your eyes, boy.”

Suga did as he was told, and as the light grew behind his eyelids and the heat increased to unbearable temperatures he felt magic flood the room. A type of magic that he’d only ever felt in this room, on top of this mountain. Ancient, and strange. And right as the heat began to grow unbearable, it vanished, and slowly, Suga opened his eyes. The old man was panting, and a single bead of sweat rolled down his face as he shook his head. 

“It’s the same as all the other times. I can’t find them. I can feel them, so they’re alive, but as for where they are...” He shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Suga swallowed his disappointment. He’d known that they’d only had a fool's chance of finding Kuroo and Kenma. Knew it from the dozens of times he’d came here and had the man try to find them before. Only to be told the same thing every time. They’re alive, somewhere. But no one know’s where. 

His eyes came back into focus as the old man leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. 

“There’s something else that you’re wanting to ask me, isn’t there?”

They had nothing to lose. And gaining any advantage in the war was well worth asking about. 

“There’s one more person that I need you to find.”

And after sitting and searching by that roaring fire for the next hour, Suga was pleased that they’d at least been able to find one of the reasons that he’d came up here for. 

And as he stepped out of that door, he felt the fresh marks appear around his upper arm, right along with the marks for all the others times that he’d visited. Everything had a price, and the monster on top of this mountain, known only by the name Nekoma, liked to keep a tally of how much was owed. But Suga had long ago learned that the thing the world believed was a monster living on top of a mountain was really just a man in sore need of someone to sit and listen to him. So as that frigid wind tossed his hair and he prepared to shift, he wasn’t worried about the price for the knowledge he’d just gained. At least not yet. 

And so he began the final flight to the war camp, exhaustion a song like fire in his blood as he soared across mountain tops. Burning and pulsing in time with his heart. But he was almost close, maybe a day’s flight away. Almost back to the camp. Or at least where the camp should be. If Daichi was smart he would’ve already began moving the bulk of the army into position, and so Suga flew towards where he thought they would be, and prayed that he was right because he so desperately needed a night, just one night to sleep undisturbed. To be with his mate. 

As his mind moved idly sorted through the intel he needed to report to Daichi, he thought of the reinforcements he’d procured. Of the old debts that he’d called in. Using anything he could to bolster his mates forces. It would have to be enough. It would be enough, he told himself. 

As he sucked in a heavy breath of the frigid air he felt the knot in his chest slowly start to unwind as he flew closer to Daich, even as the winds tore and ripped through the air around him. He sent a low thrum along that bond. The one woven into the fabric of the universe itself, the one that lived in the heart of his soul. He sent that thrum, letting Daichi know that he was coming, that he was almost back. And not a heartbeat later he received his reply, and the sheer relief and love felt in that pulse back along the bond was enough to push Suga faster, harder, back to his home. 

_Matsukawa_

It was dark here. Dark enough that even the light from the lone torch on the wall seemed to be losing the fight against the dank midnight air pressing into it. Then again, it was dark in most of the places that his Kings asked him to go. But he’d happily venture into them time and time again, if it meant the safety of his Kings, his family, and the kingdom that they would all lay their lives down for. 

It had been not two weeks past that Hanamaki had come to him and informed him of a plot that was being hatched to murder the Kings. He’d tracked down the source of information to the man now hanging from the cave wall, but beyond that they’d hit a dead end. 

And so he was here, in a cave, far from the eyes and ears of anyone who could hear or see. Far from the voices that would question why a foreign emissary, one whose kingdom had no quarrel with their own, had been plotting and planning a double regicide. At the moment they hadn’t a clue. And the alarm hadn’t been raised in the capital either until they could determine whether not this man was the only one involved or if others had infiltrated the city as well. Not that he didn’t think his Kings couldn’t defend themselves. Far from it actually. He pitied the person foolish enough to pit themselves against the pair, for their chances of survival were beyond slim. 

A whimper broke him from his musings, and he raked a disdainful gaze down the limp form of his target, hanging from chains attached to the cave wall. He needed to be quick, part of the army had already moved out of the capital and he was expected to meet the kings at their camp within the night. And as another groan sounded from the wall it seemed that his prey was just about ready to talk. 

“Please,” the voice was a whisper. “I know who you are.” 

A wet hacking cough cut through his words.

“Please. Spare me.” 

“I think that we have some things to discuss first.”

He casually strolled forward, his power roiling in the air, filling the cave. The man’s eyes began to bulge as his throat constricted without his control, and Matsukawa leaned until his lips were almost brushing his cheek. 

“You can talk to me know, or you can lose the ability to talk forever.”

And in a rush the man sucked in a breath as the vice like grip of Matsukawa power was released from around his throat. And finally, finally the light dimmed out of the man’s eyes, and the man poured out his secrets, betraying the information that he’d been so valiantly withholding all night. And as the cave grew quiet and the man sagged against his restraints, Matsukawa knew that this meeting was drawing to a close, and that the man had told him all that he knew. 

And he didn’t have a shred of pity in his soul as he strode forward and shoved the man back against the wall, holding him up by the throat. As the man gasped and flailed, Matsukawa grinned and let the power that thrummed in his veins fill his eyes and turn them red. Let it consume and overcome him until he glowed with it. And as the man screamed, and the cave echoed with the sounds of his bones snapping, he spoke. 

“Thank you for this information. You’ve been most helpful.”

 

_Kenma_

His body hummed with the magic burning in his veins, and he was itching to shift again, to feel his powerful wings propelling him through the sky, to feel the familiar, reassuring weight of his rider on his back. But he had to be here now, in this form, limbs tangled with his mates as he let him sleep a bit longer. 

It was something that he knew Kuroo needed too. Something that, in a darker time, he’d been forced to live without. He knew thought, that if he shifted and didn’t shift back for another hundred years, Kuroo would still be with him, knew that he would understand and wouldn’t question it. And the thought that something like that could happen again...that they were entering into another war where more terrible things would happen, and he and his mate would both be at risk, that thought made him want to curl even deeper into Kuroo’s arms, and hold him there forever. 

But that was not how things were. It wasn’t how they were. In all of their lifetime they’d never shied away from a battle. Never avoided a chance to help their friends when they were needed it. And nothing had changed about that even in the past hundred years that they’d hidden themselves away from the world. Because even as that time had been necessary, had been vital for them, their place in this upcoming war was just as necessary and vital. 

With that thought circling around in his head, he slowly began to wake Kuroo up, taking his time in a way that he knew they wouldn’t have time for in the near future. He slowly, gently, brushed up against Kuroo’s mind, and smiled when his barrier dropped enough for Kenma to slowly circle it, letting warm thoughts wrap around him and slowly bring him to consciousness. A small grin appeared on his lips as Kuroo pulled him in tighter. This slow morning routine, like a dancing to a rhythm only they could hear, was one that they’d learned together in a part of the world long since past. And two days later, as they soared high above the world, he hoped to himself that they’d at least get a few more mornings like that. But he wasn’t holding out hope. He knew how unpredictable wars could be. How unpredictable life in general could be.

It was the smoke that they saw rising in the east that set him on edge. Kuroo had woken up that morning looking for a fight. Kenma knew that some days were harder for him, and that some days the leash that he held on that mighty power of his slipped, and that if he didn’t release some of it he would be driven to madness. And it had been this relentless pace, these grueling days of flying and flying and inactivity for him that had led to this. 

And so it was to the east that Kenma turned. Because even as they’d been flying north to Daichi’s camp, they’d been tracking down groups of enemy soldiers, their dark magic staining the air and the earth around them, as good as a beacon in the dark. And it was becasue of their tracking, because of that unearthly reek, that he knew that the smoke rising from that camp two mountains to the east was an enemy camp, and he needed to get Kuroo there _now_.

He could feel the energy roiling off Kuroo even as they cut through the air, waves of black roiling off his shoulders like water. And he could feel it pent up in Kuroo’s head as well. A maelstrom of power, pulsing and pounding, begging for release. There was little of the warmth and playful laughter that was so familiar to him, but as Kenma tried to soften the barrage of the power assaulting his mate’s mind he felt an undercurrent of apology. The same as every time his power tried to make a grab to overtake him. Even though he’d told Kuroo time and time again that there was nothing to be sorry for, that was nothing he also didn’t struggle with. And as they cleared the top of that mountain and gazed down into the valley Kenma felt his power begin to rise in response to Kuroo’s. They were both primed for a fight, and the camp of enemy soldiers sitting in the mountain below were about to receive a reckoning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who wrote this whole chapter while listening to the soundtrack of The Emperors New Groove!! Thanks for reading friends!!!


	3. Chapter 3

_Akaashi_

It was several days later when they heard the drums, and knew that they’d arrived. Akaashi was wishing that he’d given Bo more of the sleeping draught the night before, as his mate practically sprinted into the camp, eyes wide and searching, looking for any sign that Kuroo and Kenma had made it here before them. 

But as their eyes searched and didn’t find what they were looking for, Akaashi knew that they weren’t there. Knew that he would’ve felt it if they were near, knew that the empty cavity in his chest would’ve begun to refill if they were close. 

He watched as Bokuto stopped in the middle of a group of soldiers, and moved forward to grab his hand.

“Let’s find Daichi, he might’ve heard something.”

With an almost vicious nod, Bokuto’s head moved and a heartbeat later they were off. Akaashi lifted a prayer to the gods that the news they found wouldn’t be bad, that the fragile, fluttering hope he and his mate were harboring in their hearts would be allowed to live on. But was they were approached by a group of soldiers and informed them of who they were looking for Akaashi saw the light dim a bit in Bo’s eyes as they replied. 

“The commander isn’t in this camp. We’re a sentry group, the main camp in several days north of here.”

Akaashi nodded, trying to push down the frustration rising in him. They would just have to keep walking and they’d make it to the main camp in a few days. Then they could ask the questions they so desperately needed answered. 

They spent the next two days moving quickly across the mountains, nearing a breakneck pace as they rarely rested, anxious to make it to that main encampment. As they trekked over a ridge his hand was wrapped tightly in Bokuto’s larger one. They hadn’t spoken in hours. Not that they needed to, not when every feeling and thought that they had flowed as they went from one mind to the other. 

Akaashi was currently spiraled deep inside his mind, trying to sort out the events that had led them here, the events that occurred a hundred years ago. He felt Bokuto around the outside of his mind, his presence wrapped comfortably around him like a blanket, keeping him grounded as he shut out the outside world and worked in his mind. It was because he was wound so deep inside himself that he didn’t hear it at first, but a sharp tug on his hand and a yell from Bokuto had him careening back into the present. 

“Did you hear that?!”

They were both stopped, and then he heard it. An unearthly roar that woke up that empty spot inside of him. They dared not breathe as they listened for it again. And there, a heartbeat later, another roar, and a thunderous boom of power that shook the ground at their feet. As Akaashi's eyes locked with Bokuto’s they took off running in the direction of the fight that they could hear more clearly every second. 

They knew that roar, knew who it belonged to.

Worry spiked in his chest as he heard another, because as it echoed through the forest he knew that it wasn’t one of the playful ones his memory held, but one that meant a fight was happening. And as they pushed themselves to run faster, Akaashi swore that they wouldn’t lose them again. 

It was several minutes later that the roaring stopped, and the ground ceased it’s shaking. But that didn’t matter now, because as Akaashi and Bokuto stood in the shadows behind a tree and looked into the clearing, they saw that there was nothing left to fight. And it was as he saw Bokuto’s mouth drop that the depth of the carnage in front of him really sank in. The ground was covered with the remnants of soldiers ripped in half and blasted into small pieces. He beheld the mighty golden dragon in the middle of it all, head bent low, and the dark warrior who had his face pressed up against it, both breathing heavy and covered in blood and gore.  
He watched, transfixed, as the man lifted a scarred hand to tenderly place it on his dragon's head. 

It was that moment that broke something apart in his chest, and as he took a step forward the ground crunched underneath his foot. It was at that sound that both heads whipped around and the two were instantly alert, and Akaashi fell to the ground as Bokuto tackled him a heartbeat before the air above them became superheated with flame. 

 

_Kenma_

 

Kenma reacted as soon as he heard the sound. These soldiers were somehow warded against magic, and he didn’t want to give one of them long enough to try and break through hise and Kuroo’s shields again. So as soon as he heard that crunch in the woods he unleashed his hottest flame, hoping to melt the attackers down to their very bones. And right as his flame reached the trees he felt a sharp pull, and the punch of alarm his mate screamed into his mind that made his fire stop. 

They were both riding the edge of battle, the power in their blood seeping from every pore, begging for _more_ , _more_ , _more_. But as he stopped he felt the net of energy that Kuroo had cast out, and what, _who_ it was out there that he’d almost burned alive. His shift was involuntary and violent, triggered by the resonating familiarity of the two people across the clearing. Two people he’d never thought they’d see again. 

Kuroo caught him before he could fall on his face, and he could hear his mates rapid breathing, his rampant heartbeat that had nothing to do with the battle they’d just fought. Kenma looked up and saw it in his eyes. They could run. They could leave here and stick to their plan and though it would break them apart as it had all those years ago, they could leave. It was better that way. Safer for the two whose souls lived in their hearts and who they’d go to the end of the world itself to protect. Kenma felt the spiderweb cracks start to creep across his heart, but he nodded to Kuroo, to his mate. His midnight eyes were already mourning, but he nodded back. It was just as Kenma took a massive breath, preparing to shift back, that a voice, _that voice_ , _his voice_ , rang out clear and piercing across the clearing. 

“STOP!”

And so they stopped. Rooted into place by a voice they’d resigned themselves to never hearing again. Kenma felt Kuroo’s breath catch at the same time as his did as Akaashi scrambled out from underneath Bokuto, as he grabbed his hand and the two ran forward, vaulting over charred and bloody carcasses of the soldiers who hadn’t stood a chance. And it was as they ran to them that Kenma felt the tears began to leak from his eyes, as involuntary as his shift moments ago had been. He drank in the sight of the two, both heaving, but looking unharmed despite the flame he’d tried to kill them with. And it broke his heart but as they neared he spoke softly.

“Stop there.”

And so they stopped, still several feet away and separated by several corpses. He heard Bokuto’s breath hitch and his heart pounded faster as the man breathed his name. 

“ _Kenma._ ”

He felt Kuroo flinch and he stepped closer as his rider placed a hand on his back. Kenma looked up at him and saw that his gaze was locked with Bokuto’s, and Kenma felt that tension in his mind, saw the hard lines of his body held taut by it. And they stood there, staring, at a loss for words, until Bokuto spoke, now glaring at Kuroo as anger rang out in his words. 

“No. You are not leaving.” He took a step forward. “Not until we talk.”

And Kenma knew that Kuroo was about to say something that he’d regret later, so he reached over and tapped Kuroo’s thigh, and at that he released a hard exhale. He slowly turned his head to look at Akaashi, and Kenma felt that battle in his mind, and nudged him with his mind. 

_I’m here. You’re not alone._

“Fine,” his voice was rough and gravelly, a result of the fight they’d just went through. He turned, hand still on Kenma’s back as he stormed across the clearing, “Let’s talk.”

 

_Hanamaki_

 

It didn’t matter how many times they were separated, it never got any easier for Hanamaki to handle. He knew that Oikawa and Iwaizumi noticed it, and also knew that they were just as uneasy as him, they were just better at hiding it. His awareness snapped forward as Iwaizumi pulled his horse to a stop in front of him.

“I think we should break here, we can wait for nightfall for Mattsun to arrive.”

He looked over and saw Oikawa nod as they trotted their horses farther into the tree line away from the trail. As they were unpacking for the night he felt a hand slide across his lower back and turn him around. Face to face with Oikawa’s concerned gaze he released a shuddering breath and leaned forward, letting himself be wrapped in his embrace. 

“You know he’s going to be fine, Makki.”

He took in a deep breath, and softly replied.

“I know.”

Oikawa moved until their foreheads were touching and briefly pressed their lips together, comforting, reassuring. Everything he knew Hanamaki needed right now. 

“Oi!” 

They both turned to see Hajime scowling at them from across the small clearing, pointing harshly at the saddlebags next to them.

“Those aren’t going to unpack themselves!”

With a light laugh Oikawa released him, moving to unpack the saddlebags before his scowling mate across the way found a stick to try to motivate them with. As Hanamaki moved to join them he tried to put the worry out of his mind, and just thought about the moment when Mattsun would arrive and they’d all be back together. 

 

_Matsukawa_

 

As Mattsun trudged wearily through the woods he mourned the loss of his horse. A small part of his power allowed him to travel from place to place, to disappear and reemerge as he willed it. But over the course of the last few missions he’d severely depleted it, and then his horse had broken loose in the night and was gone, and thus he was relegated to walking. 

He cursed as yet another tree branch smacked him in the face, but kept going because he’d picked up on Iwaizumi’s scent, always stronger than the other two, and knew he was close. And as he walked and followed his nose, he ran back through the information he’d gotten from the man who’d tried to murder his Kings, and the information from all the names he’d given up before his bones had been broken and Mattsun had turned him to dust. He went back to each one and replayed them in his mind, recementing the details, dissecting the lies from the truths. It was in the middle of one of these thoughts that he ran headlong into a solid wall of energy, and cursed loudly as he landed on his ass. He cursed again, but couldn’t help the grin that crept across his face. He knew this power, knew the person that this magic came from as well as he knew himself. Slowly, so painstakingly slow, he drew upon the dregs of his power and began to twine it around the shield, carefully caressing it, letting Iwaizumi know that he was here and that he wanted in. It wasn’t a heartbeat later that he felt an opening in the shield and a hand grabbing him by the collar as he was pulled into a bone crushing embrace. 

As Mattsun struggled to breathe, his grin only grew bigger.

“You idiot,” Hajime’s deep voice rumbled out of his chest. 

He finally was released only to be pulled into a rough kiss, chapped lips pressed against his own, and he felt the tension in his chest start to release. He pulled away and chuckled. 

“Miss me?”

Hajime just growled, which Mattsun knew meant ‘yes’ as he grabbed his hand and dragged him towards where he could see a fire burning. They entered the clearing and he saw Hanamaki and Oikawa, and Hajime squeezed his hand as Oikawa and Makki rushed over to tackle him in a hug. 

They all just stood there for a moment, locked in an embrace and savoring the feel of being together again, at least for the moment. It was Makki who pulled away first, running an assessing gaze over Mattsun and checking to see if he was injured. When he finally decided that there was nothing that needed to be immediately looked after he nodded. 

“What took you so long to get here?”

Mattsun snorted, “It’s a long story that ends with my traitor of a horse abandoning me in the middle of the forest and me having to sniff my way here.” 

Iwaizumi chuckled, but Mattsun didn’t miss the look of concern that passed over Oikawa and Hanamaki’s faces. He waved a hand at them and frowned. 

“The two of you stop looking at me like that, I’m fine. It’s just been a long very tiresome few weeks and I didn’t want my magic to be completely drained when I found all of you.”

“So you travelled through the forest, at night on your own with your powers _drained_ -”

Mattsun cut off Makki before he could continue with his rant. 

“Yes, I did. And I’m here now.” He spread his hands wide, “Unscathed and okay and very much in need of something to eat.”

Makki rolled his eyes but moved over to his saddle bag to grab some food out of it, as the other three moved to sit around the small fire. Once they were seated Oikawa cleared his throat. 

“So what did you learn?”

Mattsun swallowed the massive bite of bread and began to tell them of what he’d been doing the in the past weeks. 

“The is a group, that is small now but if left to fester will grow bigger, who’s philosophy is extremely anti-magic, and who are _especially_ against magic rulers.” He waved his hand around, “Hence the shoddy attempt to infiltrate the palace and kill both of you.” 

Iwaizumi shook his head. “The was a group like this several decades ago, but we treated with them and resolved the problem. Why the sudden resurgence of it?”

“The man that we captured in the palace told me that the group was given orders from the leader of this particular group, which was unhelpful because as you said Hajime, we’d resolved this problem.”

Mattsun took a deep breathe to continue, because he knew that what he was about to say wouldn’t make any of them happy. 

“However, when I had the pleasure of speaking with the leader of this small group, he informed me that they’d received the order from a noble in another land in the east.”

Oikawa sighed in frustration. “He’s everywhere. I’d thought that we’d done enough to keep him out of our lands.”

And they all knew who they meant. It was the same reason they and their army moved to Daichi. The growing threat in the east. The stain of darkness that had been slowly creeping across the land. 

“From what I was able to determine though,” Mattsun said. “This small group was all that reside in our land that were under _his_ control. And they have been taken care of.”

Makki said quietly, “Is that what took you so long to get back to us?”  
Mattsun nodded. “I had to work backwards and track them down. And I couldn’t come back to inform you because as soon as we detained the man in the palace they started to go underground, so I had to move quickly.” 

Mattsun couldn’t help his imperceptible flinch as Hajime scrutinized him, using the same look he used on his soldiers when one of them was injured, the one he used when he knew information was being withheld. 

“What are you not telling us?”

Mattsun dropped his head and ran his hands through his hair, and told them about the men he interrogated. How they’d had an innate immunity to his powers, and how it had take every drop of magic that he’d had to hunt them down and eradicate them. And he didn’t hide anymore of the details from them. And he told them the reason that he’d been hesitant to speak of it in the first place. It wasn’t because he didn’t want them to know. It was because even over the past weeks as he’d dealt directly with the new power and these men, he had yet to find a solution for it other than just using a massive amount of power to break through the defenses. Because in war that wasn’t a solution. They could not fight and win if they were drained every single day, if they were fighting against soldiers who wore armor that they couldn’t see. 

Oikawa sighed and said, “We will inform Daichi of this as soon as we arrive, that way his soldiers can be prepared for it, and maybe we can find some way to work around it.”

Mattsun nodded, feeling a weight lift off of his chest. The other three knew that talking helped him after a long mission, and he was grateful that they were always willing to listen. 

And as he stood up and stretched Hajime spoke. 

“I’ll take first watch, and we need to be packed and moving at first light. We have a lot of ground to cover and the sooner we can get to Daichi the better.”

The other three nodded, and as Mattsun laid down on his bedroll, he was thankful that at least for tonight he’d be able to sleep soundly. 

 

_Daichi_

 

Daichi rubbed at his temples as one of his commanders spoke. He didn’t know the last time he’d slept for more than an hour or two at a time, and he couldn’t remember a time when the low pounding didn’t echo through the base of his skull. But it was when that buzzing started in his mind, something completely different than the pain or ache, that he knew Suga was close. That his _mate_ had returned to him. And he was proven right as a heartbeat later, Suga, in hawk form, blasted through the flap of his war tent and shifted mid air right as he was about to smack into Daichi.

His breath left him in a mighty heave as Suga landed sprawled on top of him, but he didn’t care. Every voice in his mind from his generals, advisors, and soldiers were silenced in a heartbeat as he realized his mate was here. Laying on top of him, gasping for breath, but here. A shock of alarm shot through him as he sat up, supporting Suga as he did, raking his gaze over him, looking for injuries and finding none. Finally as his eyes made it up to his mates, he found them tear filled and wide open, the exhaustion of his fervent travelling evident as he leaned his forehead against Daichi’s and whispered his name like a prayer. 

“ _Suga._ ” Daichi breathed back, letting his forehead fall to meet his. 

A raw wave of emotion rolled through their bond and snapped something loose within Daichi’s chest as he breathed deep and pushed down the sob that threatened to escape his lips as he exhaled. Vaguely he registered his commanders leaving in the background, and knew that they would understand. They’d been anticipating Suga’s arrival back in in the war camp just as much as he had. And slowly, so painstakingly slow, Daichi moved his lips to his mates. Pressed them together in a touch that devastated and grounded him. Something that was utterly necessary as he felt that bond between them begin to shine and smooth over. 

Slowly, their lips slid together, and Daichi offered up thanks to every deity he knew. For bringing Suga back to him, for making his mate strong and fierce and cunning enough to survive everything Daichi had to ask of him. 

“We need to talk,” Suga whispered in his ear, as his head fell against Daichi’s shoulder. “You can call the commanders back in.”

But even as Suga moved to stand Daichi moved quicker and scooped him up. He felt his mates exhaustion through the bond, saw it etched into his face and smudged below his eyes. Knew that it would take days for him to fully recover his magic that was so depleted. The only reason he was barely conscious right now was because of sheer stubbornness and an unwavering strength that had endured centuries of trials. 

“Daichi really-”

“Shh,” Daichi frowned at him. “ _We_ are going to sleep for a little bit. And the commanders can wait until the morning.” He chuckled to himself. “Besides if you start talking to them now they won’t let you sleep for another week.”

Suga groaned, but didn’t protest anymore, and as they approached their tent, he shooed away his nosy commanders lurking around it. They’d have all the time to ask their questions in the morning. For now Suga needed sleep, and so did he. 

He pushed aside the flaps to the tent and slowly lowered Suga onto the bed, drinking in the sight of his mate, safe and here with him. He removed his armor and slid in behind Suga, pulling him in close, savoring the feel of him. And as he felt his mate sigh a breath as he fell into the deep sleep that came calling anytime he overextended his magic, and Daichi simply pulled him closer, and whispered into his neck.

“ _I love you._ ”

 

_Kiyoko_

 

She knew that Daichi and Suga needed some time to rest and be alone together, but as the sun cracked open the dark sky and the first rays of light peeked out, she knew that it was time to wake them. 

_But maybe I’ll give them a few more minutes._

She still needed to make morning rounds and get status reports from the commanders. 

As Daichi’s second in command everything deferred to her when he wasn’t present, and as she walked through camp greeting their soldiers, the respect that emanated from each of them spoke volumes as to why Daichi had chosen her to be his second. With centuries of training, most of them with Daichi and Suga, the members of their army knew that to cross Kiyoko was to sign your death warrant. And where Daichi was the bedrock and unwavering leader of their army, Kiyoko was the strategist, the lurking threat in the night that not only kept many enemies at bay, but that also kept them moving with the wicked efficiency she prided herself on.

As she approached the sparring arena she was greeted with the sounds of swearing and swords clashing. Noya and Tanaka were two her most reliable and fearless commanders, and the most unpredictable. It was because of this that they commanded the vanguard, the spearhead that had shattered enemy lines time and time again. 

Tanaka spotted her first and neatly ducked under the swing of Noya’s sword and saluted her, and just as Noya rounded to finish off Tanaka he also saw her and mimicked his friends pose. 

Kiyoko fought down a grin, knowing that it would only result in the two screaming about having her approval, and instead addressed them.

“Morning report?”

They dropped their salutes and sheathed moved to sheath their swords. 

“The newer recruits are just about ready, and the vanguards drills are flawless as usual.”

Tanaka paused a moment and then grinned wickedly as he spoke.

“So, are Daichi and Suga out of bed yet?” 

Noya elbowed him in the side, but grinned at his last comment. 

Kiyoko raised a brow, but shook her head.

“I’m about to wake them after I go and speak with Asahi and Kageyama.”

As she turned to head towards the demolitions tent, Noya shouted.

“Have fun! Neither one of them were in good moods this morning when we woke them up!”

Kiyoko rolled her eyes. She doubted anyone would be in a good mood after getting woken up by the two of them. Still she was grateful for the warning. Things had a tendency to catch on fire or explode when they weren’t in good moods, and with tensions running as high as they were, that was the last thing she needed today. So as she began her trek to the other side of camp, she prayed that this meeting with them would go smoothly, and the camp wouldn’t end up as the victim of an accidental fire, _again_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screams* I HOPE YOU ALL LOVE MATSUKAWA AS MUCH AS I DO. But seriously, I hope you do. Thanks for reading friends!!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

_Hinata_

He’d found them the day of Natsu’s fifth birthday. He’d been in the woods, looking for some wildflowers to bring home to her when he’d heard the cursing, and what sounded like the heavy breathing of a large beast. And what, or rather _who_ , he’d stumbled upon left him speechless. It was a dragon. A massive golden dragon, laying on it’s side looking to be severely injured, and a massive man who didn’t look much better, kneeling beside him with his palms, looking like they were wrapped in pure darkness, pressed to the two larger wounds. It was a heartbeat later that Hinata realized that the man wasn’t yelling, but was sobbing. And that the gushing wounds of the dragon underneath his hands weren’t healing. 

The sounds coming from him felt like they were being ripped from his chest as his whole body shook from the force of them. Hinata watched as the trees around him shook in time with the dark man’s movements. He stayed where he was, unmoving, breathing as quietly as he could. After a few minutes the man stood with a curse, then leaned down and seemed to whisper something to the dragon before sprinting off into the trees. 

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, but on near silent feet he moved towards the unmoving dragon. As he got close to it’s head, he noticed that it’s eyes were open and tracking every move that he made, and Hinata knew that even though the dragon was injured, it could still kill him. 

He stopped several feet away, eyes still locked with the golden beast, and then he began to speak. 

“I-I saw your rider, trying to h-heal you.” His voice shook as fear quaked his knees, but he kept going. “I live in the village below, I was up here looking for some wildflowers for my s-sister. But I told them I’d be gone a while.”

Hinata dared a step forward, and a low growl rumbled in the dragon’s throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and counted to five, and when he didn’t get burnt to a crisp he whispered to the dragon. 

“I can heal you, if you’ll let me.”

The dragon’s eyes closed, and as they did Hinata heard a voice in his mind.

_Do you have healing powers? ___

__“Y-yes, I have them.”_ _

__Have you ever healed an injury like this before?_ _

__And even though it was speaking in Hinata’s mind, he could feel the toll that it was taking to even communicate that way. He could sense the poison in the wounds working it’s way deeper into the dragon's body._ _

__“Not this wound exactly. But my power, it-” He fluttered his hands around, trying to communicate how it worked. “I can feel everything that is wrong inside you, and my power shows me how to heal it.”_ _

__The dragon huffed, and it’s head lolled over to the side._ _

___Then help. Please._ _ _

__And Hinata could sense him dipping in and out of consciousness as he moved closer. His hands shook as he approached the first wound, but as he saw and analyzed it, his hand steadied, and his power began to glow and wrap around his hand, instructing him and pushing him to begin healing, sensing that there wasn’t much time before anything he could do would be ineffective._ _

__He took a deep breath, and right before his hand made contact, he said, “This is going to hurt.”_ _

__\---_ _

__He worked until late in the afternoon, and kept a steady stream of conversation with the dragon, whose name was Kenma, as he did. He found out that they were warriors, and that there had been a great war going on. Kenma had told him what had happened, and how he and his rider, Kuroo, had ended up here in the woods, badly injured and alone._ _

__Kenma said he’d flown as fast and far as he could, leading as many of the attacking army away as he could, and that hundreds had followed, bloodthirsty and furious, seeking vengeance for the legions of their brethren that had been cut down by the dragon and his rider. As they’d flown Kenma and Kuroo had demolished every single one of them, burning them to ash and turning them into nothing more than speck of darkness in the night. In the process, their shields had worn down, and Kenma said he’d known that some of the hits he’d taken would need to be healed soon. But they’d kept going, both exhausted, their powers almost burnt out, looking for a place to land. But as Kuroo spread the last of his power across the land below them, scanning for a safe spot, Kenma’s mind began to stumble, and so they fell._ _

__Hinata had stopped at that part, taken completely aback at the story he was hearing, but Kenma seemed to not notice, and had continued on._ _

__He told Hinata about their fall, and how Kuroo had shielded them and screamed and screamed into his mind, but he hadn’t awoken. They'd fallen, plowing into the trees that Hinata could still see shattered behind them, and only the thin membrane of Kuroo’s power, all that he’d had left, had kept them from dying as they slammed into the earth. He’d awoken to Kuroo screaming in his mind, _KENMA!_ And he’d registered enough to open his eyes, only to see his frantic mate in front of him. This had only been a few hours ago. Kuroo had tried to heal him, but the poison and magic around the wounds were preventing it, so he’d went into the forest to search for a herb that he thought could help slow the poison. _ _

__Hinata could’ve sworn he almost heard a chuckle as Kenma told time what Kuroo had whispered to him right before he’d left for the woods._ _

___He told me, ‘If you see anyone, burn them to a crisp’._  
Hinata’s face blanched, as he peered around the shoulder he was working on. _ _

__“You’re not going to right?”_ _

__“He should’ve.”_ _

__Hinata hadn’t even heard the approach, and as his hands broke contact with the wound he was working on, Kenma grunted in pain. He stood, petrified, dark power swirling around him, holding him immobilized, as the towering man before him gazed down with his midnight eyes. Hinata began to speak, but stopped as the man, as Kuroo, cocked his head towards Kenma, almost like he was listening. After a moment he nodded his head and sighed._ _

__“You can continue.” That dark grip released him, and the rider’s voice was a rumble, one that promised pain if anything were to happen to Kenma that was Hinata’s doing._ _

__Hinata nodded, turning back around, but his gaze snagged on the plants dangling from Kuroo’s hand. Kuroo tracked his gaze and snorted._ _

__“Guess we don’t need these anymore.”_ _

__“N-no!” Hinata stammered, even more intimidated by the rider than the dragon. “You c-can pack that around the wounds that I’ve already worked on. It will h-help them not get infected.”_ _

__Kuroo nodded, and walked to the other side of Kenma’s massive body, and Hinata let out a breath when he could no longer feel Kuroo’s piercing gaze on him._ _

___Don’t worry, he’s not going to hurt you._ _ _

__Hinata just nodded, praying that Kenma was right, and got back to work. He’d never used his powers for this long, and though his he could feel his body begin to drain and tire, his magic sang. It was a fire in his blood and with every wound Hinata healed, he could feel it almost tip it’s head back and revel in the healing he was doing._ _

__This was how it had always been. He’d had his power for as long as he could remember, and he knew that his magic loved to be used, loved when he sought out people to help. It made him stronger, and made that magic stronger. And so that’s what he’d vowed to do. His magic was a gift, and as long as it was his to wield, as long as it made him stronger and enabled him to help more people, he would use it._ _

__\---_ _

__This had all occurred over a hundred years ago. Kuroo and Kenma had decided to stay close, and had chosen a cave in a nearby mountain, mostly just to heal. But as the years passed they did not leave, and no one asked them to either. They’d become a part of the small village in the valley, and everything that Hinata and Natsu knew about the outside world, about fighting, and surviving, they’d learned from Kuroo and Kenma. And it was for that exact reason that they’d had such a fight when they’d decided to leave. The siblings had both fought to come with them, to help fight, but they’d been told to stay put and continue their training, and to wait until they heard word from them._ _

__News came slowly in their remote village, but they knew that something was happening in the north, and that a great enemy was growing. Only a few others besides the Hinata siblings knew about Kuroo and Kenma, and knew that they’d left to fight._ _

__It was with these thoughts in mind that Hinata walked across the village. It had been weeks since he had delivered the message to Kuroo and Kenma. Weeks since any other messengers had come through their village to deliver news about what was happening in the north. The itch under Hinata’s skin had been growing every day until he felt that he might explode from it, and he knew that if he didn’t do something soon that Natsu would kill him herself._ _

___Might as well get a head start_ , he thought as he walked into the armory. _ _

__It was quick work to find Natsu, all he had to do was follow the sound of the yelling and cheering to the combat training room where he knew his sister practically lived. A wide grin stretched across his face as he wove through the bystanders to the front of the rings and he watched his baby sister deliver the final blow that brought down one of the younger village warriors who’d thought to challenge her._ _

__The crowd collectively winced as her fist cracked his jaw and he fell limp onto the ground. Her eyes were wild as the crowd cheered as she grinned at him. Hinata waved and grinned back, knowing that all the people around the ring knew who she was, and knew that she was an insatiable fighter, her energy and drive matched only by Hinata himself. She caught Hinata’s eye, and he motioned him over to her. She hopped the fence and they began walking away, the sounds of the next fight already getting the crowd going again._ _

__“Any news?” She asked, wiping sweat from her brow._ _

__Hinata shook his head. He’d heard nothing._ _

__“We are meeting with the others in a few hours. Be at Tsukki’s house at dusk.”_ _

__“What for?”_ _

__He lowered his voice as they walked through the village. “We’re making a plan. We can’t stay here any longer.”_ _

__Natsu nodded, “It’s about time.”_ _

__“I know, I know.” Hinata pushed her shoulder. “But you know how the other’s can be.”_ _

__Natsu laughed, pushing Hinata back. “See you at dusk big brother.”_ _

__

___Oikawa_ _ _

__

__Oikawa was jarred awake by a kick in the back, and as he rolled over on his pallet he received another kick from a restless Mattsun, who still appeared to be asleep. He sighed and looked up at the sky, barely turning the lightest shade of pink from the rising sun, and decided that if he was awake and Mattsun was kicking that they might as well get started on the day._ _

__As he sat up and stretched his back popped and Hanamaki, who’d been on watch, turned to face him. Oikawa grinned and whispered to him._ _

__“I’ll take Issei if you’ll take Hajime.”_ _

__Makki nodded once, grinning back at him. They’d long ago figured out that Hajime and Issei were almost impossible to wake up, and so their morning ritual had begun. On particularly rough mornings they had to resort risking their hands by poking around a certain ticklish spot on Hajime’s ribs, and Mattsun responded to nothing less than a slap in the face._ _

__Oikawa slowly moved into position just as Makki did, and as they readied themselves he held up three fingers to count down, and as the last one folded, they attacked. The two immediately bolted to the other side of the camp site, shields of power already in front of them, as two roars echoed and their mates barrelled into consciousness._ _

__They’d cursed and grumbled for the next half hour, and Oikawa swore he heard Mattsun mutter under his breath, “After all I do for you,” while rubbing at his jaw. But he’d just snickered and kept repacking the saddlebags. A night of rest had done wonders for all of them, and apparently had restore the reservoir of Mattsun’s powers as well. As Oikawa moved beside Makki to throw his saddle across his horse's back, they both yelped as a tendril of power smack him on the back of his head. He whirled to glare at Mattsun, who just shrugged._ _

__“There are nicer ways to wake me up than a slap,” and as he smirked Oikawa felt Mattsun’s powers wrap around him and let him knew _exactly_ how it was he wanted to be woken up. _ _

__Oikawa’s face immediately burned red, and Makki just glared, but Mattsun didn’t let up._ _

__“Oi,” Hajime growled across the campsite, upon seeing the other two squirming where they stood and guess what Mattsun was doing.  
“We need to get going soon.”_ _

__Oikawa let out a breath of relief as that power moved away, but but gaped as Iwaizumi spoke._ _

__“Issei is right, next time be nicer.” And he sent that cutting seductive smile that he knew melted all three of them as his deep voice rumbled, “You might be happier with the results that way.”_ _

__Oikawa’s slammed his mouth shut as his mind raced in a direction it _should not_ have been going at that moment, vowing to make Hajime pay for that comment later on. But he and Issei just laughed at he and Makki as they mounted their horses. He quickly followed suit, and the four started off through the forest. Based on Koushi’s instructions, they would be on the camp in the next day or so._ _

__Even with the light mood that the morning had, Oikawa still felt an uneasy feeling curling in his stomach. War was closer than they thought, and as he glanced at his companions, his mates, he just hoped that they were all strong enough to protect each other, and survive._ _

__

____Kuroo_ _ _ _

__

__Kuroo didn’t know what to feel. His thoughts were a raging clanging mess inside of his head._ _

_They were here._

__Then the thoughts stopped. With a single tap to his thigh they were silenced._ _

_They deserve an explanation, then we can leave._

__Kuroo glared at Kenma._ ___You know the longer we’re here with them the harder it’s going to be to leave.__ _ _

__

__A low sigh escaped Kenma’s lips and Kuroo saw the subtle bow of his head forward, almost making contact with his chest._ _

__

____I know, but I’m tired of hiding and running.__ _ _

__

__Kuroo closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose, reaching out and wrapping his power around Kenma in an embrace that he knew his mate needed. As he turned towards the other two he spoke, voice still raw and scraping from battle and told Akaashi and Bokuto that they would talk._ _

__

__The relief that he felt emanating from Akaashi and Bokuto was almost palpable, and it hurt a place deep in Kuroo’s heart, knowing that they’d done this to them. With a jerk of his head he motioned to a spot in the woods where he and Kenma had dropped their gear before the fight. The walk across the clearing was tense and silent, but they made it to their bags in a matter of minutes and with a heaving sigh, Kuroo fell onto one of the saddlebags and motioned for them to do the same. They all stared at each other waiting for someone to speak._ _

__

__Surprisingly, it was Kenma who spoke first, voice as soft as a caress._ _

__

__“How did you find us?” Kuroo felt the undertone._ __Why are you here.__ _

__

__Kuroo watched the thoughts flash across Akaashi’s eyes, saw when he decided on how to answer._ _

__

__“We’ve been tracking you.”_ _

__

__“And you found us.” Kenma’s voice was still low as he spoke, but Kuroo knew that his thoughts were flying, assessing and calculating even as he calmly sat beside him._ _

__

__With a growl Bokuto shot up from where he was sitting, and Kuroo saw the fire in his eyes as he screamed at them._ _

__

__“YES! Yes we found you!” His chest was heaving, breath ragged. “We found you, and it doesn’t seem like you give a shit one way or another!”_ _

__

__Something cracked in Kuroo’s chest, but he willed it deep down, unwilling to let it show on his face. They knew their choice would affect Akaashi and Bokuto. Had known it a hundred years ago and had chosen to do it anyway. And though not a day had passed where they hadn’t felt the aching chasm where they used to reside, they still hadn’t returned. And now every ounce of the guilt of that choice came crashing down onto them as he saw the silver of tears rimming Bokuto’s eyes._ _

__

__That chasm began to yawn wider beneath him, stretching with each heartbeat, deeper with every shallow breath. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He saw Kenma’s mouth open as he began to try and talk to Bokuto, but he couldn’t hear the words they were saying. His ears were ringing and he shot a panicked look at Kenma, silently asking for an anchor before he lost control._ _

__

__Kenma continued speaking, but entwined their fingers. Kuroo felt the searing heat that started at his palm and radiated up his arm and latched onto it. Clung to it. He forced his breath to match the pulsing heat and squeeze of Kenma’s hand on his own._ _

__

__Slowly the voices started to filter back in and Kuroo released a small breath, gaze still focused on the ground as he heard Akaashi begin to speak._ _

__

__“-travel with you to Daichi’s camp.”_ _

__

__He slowly lifted his head to see Kenma nod, and Bokuto looked calmer than he had moments before. As the question rose up in his mind, Kenma answered it._ _

__

__I told them about Daichi’s message, and that we were going to him. They want to come and help fight._ _

__

__Kuroo sucked in a sharp breath, every part of him primed to argue, but he’d felt the solidarity in Kenma’s words, knew that it wasn’t their place to refuse them the choice to fight._ _

__

__Silence pervaded the small clearing, until finally Kuroo took a breath and spoke._ _

__

__“We had no allusions about the fact that our choices meant we were most likely never going to see either of you again.”_ _

__

__He wanted to flinch back at the ice in Akaashi’s eyes as he spoke._ _

__

__“Then why did you choose that at all?”_ _

__

__We can tell them once we’re at the camp, once we’ve all had the chance to adjust._ _

__

__As usual, Kenma’s logic broke through the roiling mess of Kuroo’s thoughts and he nodded imperceptibly._ _

__

__“We can explain more to you when we’ve all arrived at Daichi’s camp. It’s about a day’s ride from where we are now.”_ _

__

__Bokuto scoffed, crossing his arms._ _

__

__“You can’t seriously expect us to separate. You’ll just disappear again.”_ _

__

__Kuroo watched as Kenma frowned at the tone. Even after all these years it was still hard to tell when Bokuto was spiraling into a mood. But even so, part of him flinched at the words. At the accusation that came with them._ _

__

__He locked eyes with Kenma as his mate spoke into his mind._ _

__

__I can carry you and Bokuto, and Akaashi can fly alongside._ _

__

__Kuroo turned to face them._ _

__

__“”Fine. Bo, you can ride with Kenma and I, and Akaashi can fly with us.”_ _

__

__Bokuto opened his mouth, protest ready, but Akaashi cut him off, voice tense._ _

__

__“That would be fine.”_ _

__

__It was quick work to gather Kuroo and Kenma’s gear, Kenma shifting into his dragon form so that Kuroo could put on his saddle and bags. He mounted in one smooth movement, a thrill running up his spine, as it always did before a flight. Even after all these years of flying. He reached an arm down to Bokuto, who just frowned at it, not taking it as he jumped and landed precisely behind Kuroo._ _

__

_Ready? _Kenma’s voice echoed in Kuroo’s mind._ _

__

__He wrapped his hands tightly into the leather grips on the saddle, repressing a shudder and the flood of memories that threatened to break through as Bokuto wrapped his hands around his waist._ _

__

_Let’s go._

__

__With that they were off. And as Kenma’s mighty wings beat relentlessly towards the sky, Kuroo felt the tension leaving his chest, just as it did every time the two of them took to the air._ _

__

__

__

___Suga_ _ _

__

__

__

__After Kiyoko had woken them up that morning, they’d immediately gotten to work. And even though they’d been up for hours, Suga still felt the drag of his exhaustion weighing on his shoulders. He knew it was going to take more than one night’s sleep to make up for the months of travelling he’d been doing, but he wished that they’d been allowed even an hour more of sleep that morning._ _

__

__He straightened as Daichi shot him a look across the council table, catching him as his mind drifted. He shot him a wry smile, and began speaking again to the commanders gathered around the table. He’d been spending the better part of the morning updating them on the allies he’d recruited, setting soldiers into motion to begin preparing for Tooru and Hajime’s host to arrive._ _

__

__“They should be here within the next week.”_ _

__

__He looked over at Daichi who had his sleeves rolled up, distractingly muscled arms braced on the table. He could feel his mind churning as he attempted to catch the massive map on fire with the power of his grimacing stare._ _

__

__“Once they arrive we won’t have long before the first attack needs to be executed if we still want surprise on our side.”_ _

__

__Hajime’s army was unrivaled in its prowess, his Fae warriors experts in combat and stealth. It was that stealth training that Suga and Daichi were counting on as the full number of his host wouldn’t arrive one at a time, but would trickle into the camp at different times, slowly growing their numbers in a way that they were hoping wouldn’t be easily tracked._ _

__

__Kiyoko was standing across the table from Suga, same burning gaze as Daichi blazed across her face, stance unmoving and critical as it always was._ _

__

__“So when are the kings expected to arrive?”_ _

__

__Suga set a small smile slip onto his face as he remembered his last encounter with Hajime and Oikawa._ _

__

__“Tooru said before I left that they wouldn’t be far behind me, their army is capable of moving without them, so we can expect them anytime now.”_ _

__

__Out of the corner of his eye he saw Asahi fidgeting, hands twisting and brow furrowed._ _

__

__“What is it, Asahi?”_ _

__

__There was a moment of hesitation, then he spoke._ _

__

__“Are _they_ going to be coming as well?”_ _

__

__Suga knew that he meant Hanamaki and Matsukawa. The kings’ strategist and spymaster, the two whose presence alone scared most men shitless, and who Asahi tried to stay as far away from if at all possible._ _

__

__It was Daichi who answered, trying to repress the grin Suga knew he was fighting against._ _

__

__“They are instrumental to the first phase of our plan, and will be arriving with the kings.”_ _

__

__Asahi frowned, and as Daichi tried to continue, he was cut off by the rising sounds of screams coming from outside the camp. His alarmed eyes met Suga’s for a split second before they were hurtling outside, weapons ready and shield of hardened energy flying through the sky to encircle the camp._ _

__

__Too soon, too soon, too soon._ _

__

__Suga’s magic sparked and danced across his fingertips, begging to be expelled. There wasn’t supposed to be an attack yet. And as he and Daichi followed the screams to the east side of the camp, what he saw almost stopped his heart in his chest._ _

__

__Hurtling towards them like a shooting star in the early light of the day was a golden dragon, one who he’d searched the lands for. One who was dear friend and who he’d thought to never see again._ _

__

__“They’re alive.” Kiyoko whispered from her place beside him, guard still up as her dark magic roiled around her._ _

__

__The dragon landed right outside of the shields still erected around the camp, directly in front of Suga and the others. The ground trembled at the impact, and as Suga beheld the familiar rider and shifter on Kenma, and the mage who shifted to stand beside them, he whispered back to Kiyoko._ _

__

_“Shit.”_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has probably been my favorite chapter ending EEVVERR!!! I hope you guys liked it too!!! And get ready to be seeing a bunch more of the Karasuno first years, because they have arrived and are ready to kick some ass!!!!!!!! Thanks for reading, friends!!!


	5. Chapter 5

_Kuroo_

They’d spotted the outer border of the war camps moments ago, and Kuroo heard the alarm begin to sound as the soared closer and closer. They began to slow as he felt and saw a wall of white energy, followed by a blue one, fly up to encircle the camp. He knew who that magic belonged to, and knew that it would be smarter for them to land outside the boundaries of it than try to break through. 

He said as much to Kenma, who agreed, and they began their descent to the edge of that shield line. As they got closer he saw a group running towards them, and knew that Daichi and Suga were apart of it. They wouldn’t risk the slaughter of soldiers to a threat that they themselves had not assessed. He’d taught them that, and hoped that they would recognize them before deciding to attack. 

Kenma landed with an impact that made the ground underneath them shudder. And as that group approached them, sprinting, and with magic dancing around their hands, Kuroo recognized each and every one of them. They skidded right at the inside edge of that magical shield, and as Suga gazed up at them he shook his head. 

“Shit.”

Kenma snorted, and Kuroo frowned at him. 

_This is not starting off on a very good foot._

Kuroo held up his hands, eyes locked on the party, and slowly slid out of the saddle, leaving Bokuto atop it, and Akaashi still in his animal form on the other side of Kenma. He began slowly walking and stopped to stand by Kenma’s golden head, and he could feel the confusion, distrust, and a small tinge of hope, rolling off the group in front of him. He felt the air in front of them layer with another shield of magic. Magic that teased and rumbled against Kuroo’s own. Magic as impenetrable as the scales on Kenma’s back. 

“Hello, Kiyoko.” He purred, unable to help himself. Their magic’s were similar, and had always loved dancing together. 

He heard Bokuto slide off of Kenma’s back, and in a flash of light his mate shimmered into his immortal body, no longer an imposing giant in front of the others. 

“I know it has been many years,” his mate began, voice soft as a caress, and as unwavering as the magic in front of them. “But we received word that you were raising your army. We know who you’re fighting and we’d like to help.”

Daichi’s chest rose and fell, and the others still held their positions. His eyes remained locked onto Kuroo’s, and though he didn’t speak aloud, he knew that a conversation was being had mentally. The silence was tense, the air thick with it. They were deciding. Weighing the knowledge they had of the past with what was now in front of them. Weighing the risk. 

It was Kiyoko who finally spoke, stepping forward through that shield, eyes burning as she stared them down. 

“We have much to discuss. And you have much to explain as well.”

Kuroo wanted to flinch at the words. He knew that the bite in them was accusatory. These people had been their comrades, and their friends. They had most likely mourned them after their disappearance at the end of the last war. And yet now here they stood. Kuroo did not blame them for the anger and confusion that he felt swirling around them. 

Kiyoko jerked her head towards a tent not too far from them, but still on the outskirts of the camp. 

_They don’t trust us,_ Kenma said.

 _We’ve been gone for a long time, we knew this wouldn’t be easy._ Kuroo’s expression gave nothing away as his mate spoke back to him, fingers brushing against the side of Kuroo’s leg.

_We have to tell them everything, all of them. If they’re going to trust us, believe us, then we cannot hold back._

Kuroo knew that Kema wasn’t just talking about Suga and Daichi, and as he shot a look to Bokuto and Akaashi, walking to their right, his heart gave an anxious squeeze at the conversation that was about to be had. Kenma reached for his hand and spoke into his mind. 

_I begin where you end._

And like a balm to his soul, those words settled in his heart. The first half of the vows that they’d made to each other at the beginning of their life together, millennia ago. Vows that no matter what the world threw at them, no matter what they were to endure, they were bound by soul, and even when death claimed them and they turned to nothing more than a whispered breath of wind in the night, they would be together. And as he exhaled and stepped into the tent where the other’s had entered, he calmed his mind, and spoke back to his mate. 

_You are my eternity._

 

_Kiyoko_

 

She whispered several clipped commands to the soldiers around the tent that had them moving quickly to be somewhere else. She didn’t want anyone hearing what was about to be said until they decided to release the information. As she stepped through the entrance of the tent, filing in last after Kuroo and Kenma, she leveled a steady look at them, head still reeling at the fact that they were even here. That they were _alive_. 

They all took seats around the crude table and chairs in the middle of the large tent, and allowed herself just a moment to marvel at the power amassed in this tent. At the fact that they were all together again, ready to fight in another war, to fight for their people, together. 

For a moment there was silence, everyone taking great interest in the table, until Suga cleared his throat and spoke. And she did not envy Kuroo and Kenma at the look he leveled at them, golden eyes intense, and burning with questions. 

“The last time we saw you was on the eastern front, battling the _sagniat_ vanguard. We-” He hesitated, and Kiyoko knew that he took a pause to reorient his thoughts, to push that blame in his eyes to the back of his mind. “We searched for you, for years, and found nothing.”

And after all the years that had passed, she watched as Kuroo flinched, that look of calculated judgement from Suga something that was devastating, no matter how many times she’d seen it. Daichi picked up the trail where Suga had left off, his thundering look no more forgiving than his mates. 

“After so long we had to stop searching. Had to start rebuilding. We stayed in our kingdom, and after some time even Bokuto and Akaashi moved away.” His gaze turned to stone, and Kiyoko recognized that cold freezing calm that came over him at times when he knew he had to keep his temper on a short leash.

“Do not think that your leaving was without cost. Do not think that your absence went unfelt.”

And there, underneath that cold indifference, Kiyoko felt the pain leeching into his voice. For the friends that he had grieved for and mourned. The friends who now stood before them, alive and well. Still they said nothing, and Kiyoko began to grow impatient, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Daichi beat her to it. He leaned forward in his chair, heavily muscled forearms resting on the table. 

“Tell us what happened.”

 

_Kenma_

 

He began by telling them about he and Kuroo leading the sagniat soldiers away, cutting a path for Suga and Daichi to reach the heart of the enemy and end the war. He told them of the massive injuries they’d suffered in order for it to happen. His voice began to waver, and Kuroo picked up, beginning seamlessly where Kenma left off, speaking of the last century they’d been away. 

They spoke of Hinata, and how he’d healed and rescued them, and of the village they’d dwelled near and it’s occupants who they now considered family. Kenma told the group how it had taken years for him to fully heal from the wounds he had been dealt in that final desperate push to give his friend a shot at victory, and the longer years that it had taken for he and Kuroo to feel safe enough to be apart from each other for more than a few moments at a time. 

And finally, when Kenma sensed Kuroo’s mind growing weary, felt that encroaching darkness that sometimes threatened on the edge of his mind, he grabbed his mates hand and began speaking again. 

He neared the end of their story, almost breaking as he spoke, trying to tell them, to make them understand why they hadn’t returned, and why they had to heal and stay away. 

All the while, the others sat and listened, faces unmoving.

And finally, voice raw from speaking for so long and from the emotion now threatening to break through, Kenma spoke, mirroring Suga’s earlier words. 

“Please do not think that this choice did not cost us, and that we did not feel the echo of absence in our lives every single day.”

Kuroo picked up as Kenma trailed off. 

“As soon as word reached the village about the impending war, about who was leading this army, we knew that it was time to return.”

He turned his tear rimmed eyes to Bokuto and Akaashi.

“We do not ask for your forgiveness. All we now ask is a chance to fight alongside you again. To fight, and survive, and _live_. To live amongst the people, amongst you, who we have considered family for much of our lives. And who will hopefully consider us again, if you can find it in your hearts to.”

 

_Akaashi_

 

He couldn’t stop it’s path as a tear rolled silently down his cheek, as the words spoken by Kuroo and Kenma struck the deepest chords of his heart. And now, alongside that simmering anger and sorrow that had lived there for a century, his heart beat out the phrase,

_Forgive them, forgive them, forgive them._

He wanted to wait until they were alone, until the other three had left and he and Bokuto could speak to them. And after a moment, it was Daichi who finally spoke, something like devastation in his eyes. 

“We did not know-we were never able to figure out how that path had been opened for us to fight our way to the heart and destroy it.”

He cleared his throat and finally, finally, they saw what he felt on his face. Amazement. Gratefulness, and guilt, and wonder all fighting to appear, as he whispered.

“We were going to retreat.”

His eyes darted to Suga.

“We had made the decision moments before we received the new that the majority of the eastern front had been slaughtered or had disappeared. And you-” His eyes were shining. “It was the two of you.”

He shook his head with a small unbelieving laugh, and stood, prompting everyone else to stand with him. He walked around the table until he stood before Kuroo and Kenma who turned to him. 

“I would consider it nothing less than an honor to fight alongside you again. And I apologize for our reaction when you arrived, it was not as it should have been.”

As they bowed their heads, Akaashi’s throat constricted with restrained tears at the thought of what they’d been through. Of the past years they’d missed. 

And as they raised their heads, Kenma spoke, quietly, but with that undying relentless fire burning in his eyes. 

“Thank you Daichi. This war will not be as the last. While we were gone we learned, and discovered something new, something that could change the way wars are fought for the rest of time.”

Every member of the group in front of them seemed to lean forward, wanting to know what it was that Kenma spoke of, but it wasn’t aloud that he spoke. One by one, the others felt the tap against their minds, Kenma asking for permission to enter. He opened a portion of his mind to them, and through that small opening, he revealed one of the reasons that they’d stayed near that valley village after they’d healed. Of what had kept them there for the past century. 

As the memories slid by, Akaashi felt the confusion rising in the others minds, the mental link allowing them access to each others feelings. 

_-what is that, the sun?._

_Where is this power coming from?_

He looked up and saw Kuroo smile and squeezed Kenma’s hand, and felt a pang run through his chest. And then a memory began to unfold.

\---

It spread over the land like the rising of the sun. 

Glittering. Blinding. A breath of new life into the world.

Kenma and Kuroo sat atop their new mountain home, wind gently sighing in the trees around them, and watched, ensnared in the scene they beheld in the wide open fields below them. 

It began with a small swatch of light, gently weaving along the land, so natural you’d never question its presence. But then it began spread, moving almost lazily, beautifully, across field and fields of crops. 

_What is that._

Kuroo shook his head, not knowing the answer to his mates question. Not knowing that in all of their long lives, if they’d ever seen anything like this before. If they’d ever seen a power or magic that resonated through the land and the ground and their bones as this one did. 

As the light spread across the land, it shone with the brilliance of the midday sun, the heat of it moving along the breeze, so much so that even up high as they were, they could feel it. Slowly, winding across the land, that stunning light began to spiral inwards, towards an invisible point at the center, until it was gone, and all that was left was the bright blue sky, the fields, and a young boy, with fiery red hair, sitting cross legged in the middle of the field, palms pressed flat to the earth. And as he turned his face up to the sky, his body glowed with the last of that light still lingering around him. 

\---

“What?” Daichi began to speak, but Kenma held a finger to his lips, silencing him. 

“If you will allow us a few more moments, please.”

Daichi swallowed and nodded, and Akaashi wondered what more they needed to show to them. What other memories they would have to use to convince them. For none of them had ever seen powers and magic like that before. Had never beheld something so breathtaking. 

And as he saw Kuroo nod to Kenma, other memories began to flash through everyone's minds. 

They showed them the training of Hinata, the refinement of his powers, the discovery that his sister had similar powers, and how they had worked with her to hone them as well. 

Then the stream of scenes stopped. And one single one slid across their minds, and what they saw took the breath out of everyone in the room. Because while they’d stayed away, Kuroo and Kenma had discovered the village that had remained untouched by the world for centuries, a place where the land granted magic to it’s inhabitants the likes of which had never been seen. 

They’d seen it, and at first had been content to leave it, until Hinata had found out that they’d fought in wars, until he found out they were warriors and begged them to be trained, for them to stay and train he and his sister. And they’d agreed. 

And those glorious powers, raw and unshaped, had become weaponized, and with almost a century of training, the Hinata siblings were unmatched in their magic and in their combat prowess. As were the others in the village who’d requested to be trained. Who also had stunning powers that had been granted to them. 

And slowly, Akaashi felt Kenma began to reel himself back in, leaving everyone's minds and stepping back into his own. The corner of his mouth curled upwards at the looks of shock and awe on the others faces. 

“They are ready to fight if you wish them to.” Kuroo said. 

Slowly, he saw Kiyoko blink as she shook her head, then simply said, “Bring them.”

Kuroo nodded back to her.

“Then we need to send a message.”

 

_Hajime_

 

“We should just wait a while and then sneak into their tent tonight!”

Hajime groaned along with Mattsun as Oikawa blurted yet another idea for how to enter the camp. They’d been getting progressively worse the longer into the day that they rode, and even though Hajime knew that they’d be upon the camp soon, he wished that it would come a little faster.

Hajime let a breath out slowly through his nose. 

“Tooru, we are entering that camp normally, and in a way that won’t scare the shit out of anyone.”

Oikawa let out an indignant huff from atop his horse. 

“Well then as King, I order that Mattsun not be allowed to enter camp, because his glare is enough to scare any of those poor soldiers shitless.”

Makki snickered as Mattsun leveled that exact glare at Oikawa, who just stuck his tongue out and then looked pointedly at Hajime.

Hajime just smirked and said, “Mattsun is staying, and you’re not the only King. So I revoke your order.”  
Oikawa frowned and pouted from his place riding beside Makki, and began to speak before  
Mattsun raised a hand that signaled for them to stop and be silent. The humor in the air vanished as they all went silent and listened, eyes roaming the forest for a potential threat. 

A heartbeat passed and then they heard it. The clanging of swords, and the yelling of a drill master. The small grin that appeared on Hajime’s face as he turned to look at Makki and Oikawa behind him was one that he didn’t wear often as he said, “We’re here.”

Hajime rolled his eyes as Makki shook his head at the smile on his face. There weren’t many things that got Hajime more excited than the potential of war. He thrived on it. Tooru called him a brute for it, always teasing him for longing to be among the ‘smelly soldiers who never bathe’ and how similar he was to them. But even that couldn’t bother him. He had been born in a war camp. His mother a general for a king and a kingdom that had long since past. He felt at home in it. Amongst the soldiers, training and fighting. Living every day with the rage and adrenaline of battle pounding in his veins. He was born into it, that thrumming roiling beat of war, and he knew, that when the gods deemed it his time to return to the stars, he would die in it. 

His heart began to beat faster as they approached, those sounds and smells so familiar to him. He couldn’t help himself as a heartbeat later, he kicked his horse into a gallop, sensing the others close behind him as they entered the camp of Daichi’s army, ready to win a war. 

 

_Daichi_

 

As the day slowly came to a close, Daichi prayed for no more surprises. He already had enough to process with the information that Kuroo and Kenma had brought to them. He was still reeling from everything they’d been shown, and he knew Suga was too. And gods above, even Akaashi and Bokuto were here. He shook his head as he opened the flap to he and Suga’s tent, already planning for tomorrow, thinking through all that he needed to get done. The new pieces on the board that he now had to sort out and place. 

_He was tired._  
Tired of planning. Tired of fighting. It was always the same. And he knew how it would end. 

Before they all had departed the tent earlier, Kuroo and Kenma had asked a question he knew they’d been sitting on since they’d saw him standing at the camp border. 

“Did you survive long after the last war?”

He shook his head no. Trying not to think about the reality he had to face every day of his mortal life. A thousand years ago, Suga was still young for an immortal, exploring the world as he pleased, doing anything to be away from his stuffy noble family. He’d been roaming the marketplace of a village near his home, and had seen Daichi. As soon as they’d locked eyes they knew. They were mates. But Daichi was mortal, and Suga was not. There had been a great war occurring at that time, and they were both soldiers in it. It had all happened so quickly during that final battle. Daichi had died. Shot through the chest with an enemy arrow, bleeding out in Suga’s arms. And in his frantic grab to keep Daichi with him, Suga had made a bargain. Daichi knew what that bargain was, and they both knew that magic always came with a price. And that bargain had been a blessing and a curse. A thousand years later, he was still here with his mate. But he had lived and died many lives in between. Because even the gods, who Suga had bargained and grappled with that day on that far away plain, would not make Daichi immortal.

No. Not immortal. 

He was reborn. 

He was reborn and given the gift of remembering his first life, and all the lives in between. This was the gift that the gods had given them. That they’d granted to Suga, their warrior whom they loved so well. But the cost for it had been that with every death, wherever he was reborn to, he and his mate had to roam the earth to find one another. Suga never knowing where Daichi would be next. Daichi, able to feel that mating bond like a living fire inside of him, but unable to follow it to his mate. But after all this time, it did not feel like so much of a curse. No, the cost was one that Suga was more than willing to pay. Over and over, he’d found Daichi. Had hunted to world, following that bond in them that never broke, even when the dark goddess came to claim Daichi again and again. They always found each other. 

He shook his head as he sat down on a chair in front of the map laden table against the wall, and had all of a few moments to breathe, when a messenger came running into his tent. 

“Sir-” The boy was out of breath, huffing as if he’d ran a great distance. Daichi motioned with his hand for the boy to take a moment and catch his breath. 

“Sir, the Kings from Aoba have arrived, along with their consorts.”

Daichi was up and moving past the boy before he could react. 

“Where?” He clipped as the boy followed.

“They’re on the western edge of camp. Suga is already there with them, he’s the one who sent me to notify you.”

Daichi felt a spark of annoyance in his chest. 

_I don’t need to be told about these things last minute, Koushi._

Daichi felt more than heard Suga snicker down the bond at him. 

_You needed some time to sit, even if it was just for a few moments. You look as close to death's door as I do._

Daichi grunted and let Suga know just what he thought about that down the bond. His steps had him quickly moving to the edge of camp where he saw that Suga was waiting with the Kings. As he approached a grin split across Hajime’s face, and he stepped forward to grab Daichi’s outstretched hand and clasp him in an embrace. 

“It’s been too long, brother.” Hajime said to him. 

Daichi squeezed tight, and then let go, unable to stop the grin that grew on his lips at the sight of his friends. The four men in front of him as close of a family as he and Suga could ever ask for. They’d known each other for centuries, having met not long after he and Suga’s mating. And they’d see and experienced many parts of this world together. As friends, as conquers for their kingdoms, as warriors and generals. 

He cleared his throat after he was done being assaulted with embraces from the other three, stepping back next to where Suga had stood and watched with a smirk on his face the whole time. 

“I cannot say how relieved we are to see the four of you. Some of your soldiers have already began to integrate with the camp.”

Hajime nodded. “It should not be very long before the full force is here. They know the deadline.”

Daichi nodded, more to himself than the others. Sorting through those endless plans in his mind. 

Oikawa reached forward and touched his shoulder, and as Daichi met his stare, he remembered why it was that his friend was such a beloved, and feared ruler. Beloved because of his love for his people. Feared because of the gleam now shining in his eyes, the calculating stare one that usually sent men running. 

“Before you get lost in that big mind of yours, why don’t you take us to where we can get settled, and then we can talk. You’re not the only one with ideas, Daichi.” And that wicked gleam in Oikawa’s eyes made Daichi more thankful than ever that he would never have to face the King as an enemy. 

“Ah-” Suga cleared his throat as the others moved to step into the camp after Daichi. “I’m afraid I have to be on my way, but don’t be disappointed it won’t be too long before I return.” He winked at the small group, and Mattsun snorted. 

“By my guess you’ve barely even been back in camp for a day or two at most. And Daichi’s already got you leaving again?”

Suga winked in a way that made Daichi’s face turn red. “What can I say, my mate is the demanding type. I’ll be back soon.” And with a flash of light he shifted and took off soaring across the treetops. 

“Well,” Makki clapped his hands together. “You can tell us what that was all about in a bit. But first, I’d like to be shown around.”

Daichi refocused, his eyes still tracing the flight path of his mate. Even though he wasn’t embarking on particularly risky trip, it was still hard to see him go, even if it was for a short time. 

“Of course, and-” He smiled at the thought of the shock he was about to give them. “There are some old friends here who I think you’ll want to talk to.”

 

_Tsukishima_

 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he watched the Hinata siblings fight in the sparring ring, screaming at each other with every strike and laughing wildly, like they somehow found enjoyment in beating the shit out of one another every single day.

They’d been going at it for the past hour, working through a new set of drills that Kuroo had given them before he and Kenma left. He remembered the meeting they’d had over dinner not too long ago, discussing whether or not to wait for word from Kuroo and Kenma to go ahead and leave for Daichi’s war camp. It had been a split vote, and the choice of it still nagged at him. 

He’d wanted to leave. 

Had felt the cry of the wind on his skin as sure as the beating of his heart. 

Even as he leaned against a post to watch his two friends spar, his power itched underneath his skin, begging for release, clawing to get out of his skin, to be used in the way that he’d been trained for. He’d wanted to chase after Kuroo and Kenma. But they needed to wait.

The dragon and his rider had said before they left that they were going to send for them when they arrived at the war camp and got the details of just what exactly was happening. 

_Soon, soon, soon._

He eyes slid shut as his power sang in his blood, thrumming against his bones. 

For a moment he let it build, and then will a small huff of breath, calmed it into submission once again. He smelled a storm in the air, even though the skies were blue and shining. 

_Better tell Takeda to round up the animals._

This was their way. The way of the village. The way of their life. The reason that their small, remote village had thrived in the high mountains, surrounded by an unforgiving environment that had looked upon their ancestors and deemed them worthy. Had seen in them the will and heart to survive. And had rewarded them with the magic that enabled them to do just that. 

And survive they did. 

For hundreds of years their village had existed, running seamlessly, as the village inhabitants used their powers to work the land and tend to their animals. Each member had a function and a purpose, and they were all woven together in a tapestry that formed the heart and soul of their community. And as Tsukishima walked along the outskirts of the village he felt the rising wind singing in his heart, in his soul. It was that wind, in these mountains, that he loved so fiercely. And it was the people in them who he would go to war to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TSUKKIIIIIIIII!!!!!! I really had fun writing his pov, and this chapter, so I really hope that you guys liked it as well!! The next chapter is finally going to have just about *everyone* reunited!!! Thank you so much for reading friends!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

_Tsukki_

 

“Guess who won in sparring today!”

Natsu’s face was smug as she darted around the kitchen, helping prepare dinner. Hinata rolled his eyes as Tsukki smirked and said, “I hope you gave him a thrashing, Natsu.”

She laughed, still dancing around the kitchen, and planted a smacking kiss on Hinata’s cheek from where he was leaning against the counter pouting.

“Maybe next time big brother.”

A small smile broke out of the corner of his mouth. He could never stay mad at Natsu for long.

“It was just in hand to hand, I can still beat you with our powers!”

Natsu just laughed as Tsukki muttered, “Yeah, barely.” Hinata scoffed and lashed out to to smack Tsukki in the arm, which he quickly dodged.

As Natsu was setting the final plate out, Yamaguchi and Yachi burst through the door, out of breath and clutching the arms of a very ruffled and offended looking male with shining silver hair. And even though he looked exhausted, every detail of him was striking. From the rich brown eyes, to the lithe movements of his body, to the delicately pointed ears poking out of his hair. Tsukki chewed on his bottom lip as he took the new comer in. He looked very much like one of the friends that Kuroo and Kenma had described in stories of their past.

“It’s Kuroo and Kenma!” Yachi practically shouted. “They’ve sent a message!”

The other three stood unmoving for half a heartbeat before Natsu and Hinata exploded. 

“What is-”

“What did they say!!”

“What should we do!”

“Are they okay??”

“How are-”

It was Tsukki who clamped a hand over each of their mouths, sending each a very familiar glare that said, _shut up and let me talk_.

The glare just as quickly moved to the messenger, whose disheveled silver hair gleamed in the light of the kitchen. He brown eyes looked weary, and Tsukki got the feeling that it was a common look for the stranger. 

“Who are you and what is your message.”

He slowly brushed off his rumpled shirt, still standing between Yamaguchi and Yachi. 

“My name is Sugawara Koushi, boy.” His glare was just as strong, if not stronger than Tsukki’s. 

“I was sent here to retrieve you by Kuroo and Kenma. If you are ready and willing, we need to leave for the war camp now.”

Tsukki’s eyes narrowed. He sniffed and didn’t smell a lie, but still wasn’t convinced. 

“Who of us did they send you here for.” He could hear the ice in his voice, but before they went off with some stranger anywhere, they needed to make sure that he was who he said. 

Suga raised an eyebrow at the questioning, but answered. 

“I was told to retrieve those of you who’d received training from Kuroo and Kenma. Our army is gathered, and we plan to move soon, but we need you there to fight with us, and to help execute a plan that no other in our army could.”

He reached down into the satchel on his side and pulled out what looked like a sealed envelope. 

“And if you don’t believe me, you can read it here. They sent a letter, and told me to give it to Tsukishima. They told me you’d be the one that needed convincing.”

Suga extended a hand to pass over the envelope. Tsukki grabbed it, and immediately recognized the sigil in the wax stamp. It was from Kenma’s signet ring. The one that match his mates, and that he knew were entirely original and unreplicatable. He made quick work of opening it and scanned the contents. 

_Tsukki,_

_The man who delivered this message to you is Sugawara Koushi, mate of Daichi, the leader of the army we have arrived at to fight alongside. He is who he says, and please don’t give him a hard time. We told him that you’d be skeptical, since none of the others ever are. You are to leave with him as soon as possible. Notify Takeda, but do not linger. You are needed here. Yachi can be your mode of transport. I know she’s not perfected it, but we are a great distance from you, and it’s the quickest way to travel. Oh, and make sure Suga eats something before you leave again, he has a tendency to only focus on the mission and not himself._

_Travel safe. Travel swift._

_Kenma_

Tsukki felt a weight lift off his chest. It really was them. He lazily lifted his gaze to Suga, running an eye over him. The man did look exhausted. He folded the letter and slid it into a pocket. 

“It’s them. We need to pack and leave immediately. Natsu, go notify Takeda that we’re leaving.”

Natsu nodded at him and sprinted out the front door, and as everyone burst into a flurry of motion, Tsukki reached over to the table and grabbed a loaf of bread sitting on it. 

“You look like you could use this.” He handed it to Suga, who was still standing next to the entryway, taking in the details of the front of their small house. 

His eyebrows rose, looking a bit baffled. Tsukki scratched at the back of his neck and said, “Kenma said to make sure you ate before we left. So here.” He pushed the bread towards him again, and Suga gingerly took it. 

“Thank you, Tsukki.”

Tsukki just nodded. “I’ll be back shortly. We already had most of our gear packed and ready, so we’ll reconvene in this front are in a few minutes.”

Even as he moved to his room to gather what little things he hadn’t packed, the thoughts flashed like lightning, a pounding barrage of them. Calculating. Analyzing. Over-thinking. 

_The village needs us, we can’t just leave. But we’re needed elsewhere-we’ve trained._

And then a crashing halt as he felt a finger pressing into the wrinkled spot between his furrowed brows. Hinata’s bright eyes met his own, and he felt some of that sunlight leak onto his skin. Let it calm him as Hinata spoke. 

“We have been training for this for almost a century, this is our chance Tsukki.”

He withdrew his finger but still stayed standing in front of him. Pinning him with that piercing gaze. 

“The village will be fine, we’ve trained others to take our places. Right now we are needed in this war.” And finally that grin broke back through as Hinata beamed. “Besides, I know you’ve been dying to try your powers out on someone besides the four of us.”

And just like that, in a way that only Hinata had ever been able to do, the chaos in his mind was stopped, and the swirling thoughts were pulled together and answered with several simple words. He grabbed his pack and followed Hinata out of the door. And with that he felt himself nodding, feeling much calmer than he had moments ago.

 

_Suga_

 

Despite the rush on time, before they left they all sat down to quickly eat before they went. Suga began talking, detailing what would be required of them, telling them about how Kuroo and Kenma had found the camp, and scarfing down as much food as he could manage, having already finished the bread Tsukki had given him.

Yama raised an eyebrow across the table at Natsu, who was staring at Suga. He caught their look and smiled.

“I was carried to an area about two days from here, and flew the rest of way, and doing that can drain my magic pretty quickly, so it helps if I can eat a lot afterwards.” 

He slowly set his fork down. “Speaking of which, Kuroo only said before he sent me off that you all would have a way to transport us to camp. Could you tell me how you plan to get there?”

At this all eyes turned to Yachi, sitting at the end of the table. She squirmed a little in her chair at all the eyes on her, but Suga was surprised that when she spoke it was with an unwavering tone. 

“I can get us there, but I need to know the layout of where we’re going, and if there’s a body of water anywhere nearby.”

At that Suga raised an eyebrow. “Do you mean like a lake, or do streams qualify?”

She shook her head. “Not as small as a stream, but if it’s anything much bigger, then yes.” At his questioning look she continued. “My powers are tied to water, and part of it includes the ability to transport anything that is water or has water in it. But sometimes when I try to take a lot of people the power sort of,” She wiggled her hands, searching for the word. “-it fractures, and so if there’s a large body of water nearby and it has a strong pull, I end up getting pulled there and we’d all fall into it.”

At that everyone at the table shuddered, and Suga laughed. “I take it you’ve all experienced that?”

Haunted nods from everyone only made him laugh harder. 

“Well there is one lake near where the camp is stationed, but if we set an entrance point on the other side of the camp then we should be fine.” 

Yachi nodded at him. “And even if we do get pulled in, usually I have enough time to warn Tsukki and he can shield us so we don’t end up soaking wet.”

Suga nodded and stood, praying that this little excursion wouldn’t end up with them all drowning in a lake. He clapped his hands together. “If everyone is done, then it’s time for us to head out.”

Everyone moved quickly to grab their gear, and as they all gathered in the front room, in what he could only assume was a practiced formation, he tried to keep the curiosity off his face as he watched the five of them interact. He’d felt it when he’d gotten here, and it became more prevalent the longer he was around, them, but there was a smell and feel of a bond that permeated everything that they did. There was also another smell, a unique one, that clung to the four older ones, like an intermingling of their four scents all tied into one that wrapped around them. There was something different about it though, something that he couldn’t quite place, something new. He’d have to ask Kenma about it when they got back to camp. 

For a moment longer he stood and watched as they arranged themselves in that obviously practiced formation for the jump they were about to make. He let them get settled as they interlocked hands. Hinata and Natsu on Yachi’s right and left, then Tsukki next to Hinata, and Yama next to Natsu. Yama motioned for Suga to step into the circle, between himself and Tsukki, and as he grasped their hands and the circle was closed, he saw Yachi’s chest rise and fall with a heavy breath. They were silent for several moments, and he wondered what it was that she was doing, and then he felt it. 

Delicate as a caress moving across his skin, he felt what was unmistakably Yachi’s power slowly spreading through him, encompassing his blood, muscles, and body. He stiffened slightly, unaccustomed to the sensation, and saw her brow furrow as she spoke. 

“Please try to relax, it’s going to take longer if you don’t.”

He took a deep breath and let his muscles go slack, and fought off the instinctual urge to shove her powers out. A few more heartbeats of silence, and he felt her in his whole body, and knew that if she chose to, she could kill him before he even knew it. Crush his organs, snap his bone, and he would know no more. 

He shuddered at the thought of what Kuroo and Kenma had trained her to use this power for. But as she finally released a long exhale through her nose, she opened her eyes.

“Everybody ready?‘

Nods from around the circle, a nod from Suga, who was praying that nothing bad happened and that they’d make it to camp alive. A small wicked grin appeared on Yachi’s face, and then she looked into Suga’s eyes. 

“Don’t let go.”

 

_Kageyama_

Kageyama liked that he and Asahi were able to have their forge set up by the lake. It was along the southern outer edge of the camp, and it meant that he and Asahi didn’t have to interact with too many people and were able to work uninterrupted and in peace most of the time. And today had been a day where they’d have little to no interruptions, and ordered by Daichi, because today the built and tested some new weapons that they’d been designing over the past few months. 

It was a job that had required their undivided focus and attention, due to the delicate nature of the work, and as he was adjusting the placement of something in one of their storage tents, he heard a massive cracking sound outside, like a clap of thunder, and then the screaming of several people before a massive splash sounded. 

“Kageyama!” Ashai was easily startled, and as he barreled into the storage tent, Kageyama saw the fright in his eyes. “Some people just landed in the middle of the lake! Come on!”

Kageyama took off after Asahi, both swiftly running to the edge of the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of just what it was that had made that terrible thunderous noise before plummeting into the lake. 

They both scanned the water, waiting for someone to appear. And they both jumped when several heads popped out of the water.

“Who is-” he began. And then he saw the familiar silver hair, now dulled a bit by the water, but he still recognized him. Asahi must’ve put the same piece together, and cupped his hands and yelled out, “Suga!” 

The man’s head whipped towards them and he waved to them, and then motioned for the others around him to begin swimming for the shore. 

“Do you need help?” Asahi yelled, voice booming across the water.

Suga just flapped a hand back at them again, and since no one was screaming or appeared to be drowning, they stayed put on the edge of the water. As the group began swimming in, Kageyama was able to make out five other heads besides Suga’s. 

As they swam closer, Kageyama squinted his eyes to try and get a better look at the unknown members of the group. There were two women and three men, although none of them looked to be very old, and he stiffened as he noticed the elongated ears poking out through their wet hair. 

He could hear the smaller blonde was speaking, and it sounded like she was apologizing. The blonde man cut her off, and as they approached the shore, he heard the last part of what he said. 

“-never dealt with a body of water this big. You couldn’t have planned for it.” 

Then the reached the shallow water and were able to walk, and moved to stand on the shore, following Suga’s lead. His eyes snagged on the young woman with flame red hair as she bent over and shook her head and body out like a wet dog, shaking water on everyone around her. 

“Sho-” She shivered as she tried to talk. “Please dry us off before we freeze to death.”

A vigorous nod from the young man with hair almost identical to hers as he walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kageyama had to avert his eyes as the spot the two of them stood in exploded in a burst of light. He felt the near scorching heat of it on his skin, and as soon as it was there it was gone. 

He knew that he was gaping, and couldn’t help himself. He looked over to Asahi, who looked just as shocked as he felt, and mouthed, _Who are these people?_

Asahi just shrugged his shoulders, and then quickly turned back around as Suga squacked. 

“A little warning next time!”

And the red haired man, supposedly Sho, turned to him with a wild grin, clothes now dry and hair sticking wildly out in every direction. 

“Sorry,” Some of that sunlight leaking into his grin. “Want me to dry you off next?” 

Suga sighed, but shuffled a step closer. “Yes, please.”

Sho bounded over to him, and this time Asahi and Kageyama averted their eyes, confusion only growing as everyone was quickly dried, until finally they turned to look at them. It was Suga who spoke first, delicately clearing his throat. 

“Kageyama, Asahi, I’m terribly sorry if we’ve startled you, but I have some new recruits to introduce you to.”

He motioned with his hand as he pointed to the group behind him, introducing them all by name. Kageyama and Asahi both kept quiet through them, taking it all in. When Suga paused to take a breath, his head tilted to the side, as if he was listening, and then nodded to himself. 

“Well, we have to get going. I’ll come back to check in on the two of you before the days end. I’m sorry for our interruption.”

Asahi stuttered out that it wasn’t a problem, and then quickly moved back into their forge. But Kageyama stayed put, watching as those strangers paraded behind Suga. Their eyes were wide as the looked around, as if they’d never seen a war camp before. As if they’d not seen any of this before. 

Strange. 

“Kageyama.”

Asahi called him from inside, and he quickly turned from his staring. Suga was returning later on. He could ask his questions then. 

_Daichi_

“Suga is headed this way with the others right now. They will arrive in a few minutes.” 

The others gathered in the tent nodded, and Daichi could feel the tension from everyone cutting through the air. Well, everyone except for Kenma and Kuroo. The former quietly gazing towards the front of the tent, as if he could feel the approach of the group, the latter smirking at everyone’s nervous looks. 

Daichi almost snorted at that look. A hundred years later and still the same Kuroo. It was nice to know that some things never changed. He felt a tap on his mental shield, and opened up to let Suga inside. 

_We’re almost to you. Is everyone gathered?_

_Yes, everyone is here. And the only one who looks happy about it is Kuroo._

_No surprise there._ And Daichi could practically feel Suga’s smile as he spoke into his mind. 

Kenma delicately cleared his throat and everyone looked towards him. 

“I know that you all might be a bit nervous, and we didn’t really get to portray much of the group personalities in what we showed to you. But you need not worry,” He smiled to himself. “Compared to most of us standing in this room, they are children, still young, most of them less than two hundred years old.”

Kiyoko snorted, clearly finding what Kenma said in direct contradiction to the display of powers they’d seen in the vision earlier. 

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Make no mistake, they are deadly, and they powers are something to be feared. But they present no threat to us, or to anyone else in this camp.” 

Daichi nodded, about to reply, but the front flap of the tent tore open and a flash of red blurred through and before he knew it, Kuroo and Kenma were almost knocked flat on their backs by the woman who had tackled them. 

She had her arms wrapped around both of their necks, and Daichi watched partially in amazement as they embraced her back, and he would’ve laughed at the surprise attack had he not seen the look of relief on Kuroo’s face and the small smile peeking out of Kenma’s. 

He looked away to observe Bokuto and Akaashi for a moment. Akaashi’s face betrayed nothing, and Bokuto looked awed. The last time that Daichi had seen the four of the at the end of the last war, they had been inseparable, willing to kill and fight and die for one another. He couldn’t help but wonder at what they were feeling right now, seeing the people who had spent the last hundred years while the two who’d been so close to them. They had been quiet through much of the day, and Daichi did not envy the conversation that he knew was coming between the four of them later on. 

His attention was turned back to the red haired woman as she laughed and planted smacking kisses on Kuroo and Kenma’s cheeks, and he watched their faces as the other four of their group entered the tent. They both looked up at the same time, and it was obvious from the relief on their faces that the they meant a great deal to them, and Daichi wondered at the nature of their relationship. Of what could’ve developed between the group of them in the hundred years that they’d been away. 

Another time. He’d ask them another time.

A time when it wasn’t crucial that they utilize every second that they had. And as the woman slowly unlocked her arms from around Kuroo and Kenma’s necks Suga entered the tent. 

A throb of relief pulsed through his body. And he felt Suga push the same feeling back down their bond. His mate came to stand beside him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Daichi leaned down and pressed a kiss into his temple. 

_Have I ever told you how much I love you?_

A chuckle down that bond from Suga. _Yes, but you could stand to say it some more._

Daichi just smiled back at him, returning the squeeze to his hand as he cleared his throat and got everyone’s attention. He knew that everyone probably wanted to have time to catch up, but they didn’t have that luxury, and time wasn’t on their side. 

Daichi asked out loud to Suga, “Did you brief them?”

Suga nodded back as silence fell around the tent. 

“Good, then let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is kind of short!!! But I hope you guys enjoy it!! Thanks for reading!!


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